Fight Forever
by crystaltears24
Summary: Life for the Davenports have been busy the last few days, but it only gets busier when one of Donald Davenport's enemies comes back for revenge. The family falls apart at the seams, especially when Davenport reveals a secret that shakes the bionics to their cores. Something more sinister lurks in the shadows, but will they realize it in time before it destroys them? First fanfic.
1. Prologue

***Nervously peeks around a corner* Hi! This is my first fanfiction. Ever. I wanted to post this prologue just to see if people would be interested in my story. I don't even have half of the story written - okay, I think I'm close but I can't be sure. I probably won't post a new chapter in a while because I want to get most of the story finished before I post too many chapters till the point where I have no more chapters to post and I'm writing whenever I can and it's keeping my readers waiting... Yeah, I'm rambling. Sorry. Anywho, I probably shouldn't keep you waiting. I do not, under any circumstances, own anything Lab Rats. This story is purely for fun. Without further ado, Prologue of Fight Forever. **

* * *

Gasping breaths.

Wheezing, painful inhale. Rasping, breathless exhale.

Dust, everywhere. In her lungs, down her throat - choking her. She coughed so hard that her chest ached. The dust was so thick, she couldn't see.

She couldn't hear past the ringing in her ears, and her hand came away bloody.

Flashes of light - blue against red - reach her through the dust. A firefight. Her team against _them_. The evil side. She knew she should be helping her team. She _knew_. But all she could do was stumble through the dust, the rubble, her mind still trying to figure out what exactly happened.

It had been a trap. _They_ had been waiting for them. She and her team couldn't deactivate the bomb in time. They had failed their original mission. But it wouldn't be in vain unless they failed to defeat _them_.

Her ringing ears pounded with her erratic heartbeat, but she could faintly hear the blasts of the fight ahead. She sensed rather than heard her name being called, and she turned around to see her older sister making her way towards her, dust so thick in her pretty, auburn hair that it was now a brownish white, but then she got tackled by two men clad in black. Agents of the enemy.

Her sister screamed in frustration, trying to fight them off. They stuck a needle in her arm, and she went limp in their grasps.

One of the agents saw the younger sister standing there with a shocked and scared expression, and spoke into his wrist communication wire. She turned, tears threatening to fall, and tried to get away, tripping over debris. A gloved hand landed on her shoulder, whipping her around. Through the dizziness that assaulted her, she reacted on pure instinct and grabbed the man's own shoulders and pulled him into her knee, jamming it into his solar plexus, winding him, then finishing him off with a violent punch to the temple. He fell to the ground, motionless.

Black spots danced before her eyes, and she walked unsteadily as she wandered around, still in a daze.

Another blast knocked her off her feet, her vision going black for a spilt second.

And then pain.

Burning, white hot _agony_ in her wrist and side.

Hot tears ran down her face, leaving wet trails on her dust-covered skin, as she cried out. Her heart raced, beating achingly in her chest. She was panicking, she could feel it, so she closed her eyes.

Blue skies. Cool breezes. Summer sunsets at the beach. Her wonderful, if not sometimes childish, twin brother.

And then suddenly, he was there, leaning over her, his hazel eyes boring into her matching set, and his mouth moved, his words muffled but his voice soothing. He took her unbroken hand in his and brought it to his lean chest.

He told her to breathe, taking deep breaths under her hand, and she somehow understood, even with temporarily deaf ears. She breathed with him, feeling his steady heartbeat through her glove.

In. Out.

In. Out. Repeat.

Her heart slowed, the pain dimmed slightly.

He helped her to her feet, and she bit her lip when the pain in her wrist and her bruised ribs spiked, but she refused to utter a sound.

Only then did she realize that the dust had settled to reveal that their comrades had been subdued, probably drugged like the twins' older sister.

The enemy surrounded them, a dozen and a half, at least.

Brother and sister stood back to back, hands up, ready to fight. Together, they felt invincible. Seconds ticked by. No one moved, no one breathed. But then _they_ made the first move.

They rushed the two like flies, a well-trained, deadly swarm.

The twins fought valiantly, desperately trying to overcome the black-clad assassins. Punch, kick, dodge. Punch, duck, roll. Kick, back flip, twist. But punch for punch, kick for kick, the two were outmatched, even if they had the better skills than the enemy's agents. One lucky hit to either of them, and that would be the end.

Her feeling of fearlessness shattered when she saw her twin fall, knocked unconscious and then drugged for extra precaution.

Her heart stopped. She couldn't breathe.

Screaming his name, she tried to run to him, but strong arms held her back, ignoring her frantic struggles and hysterical cries of protest and anguish. She tried every martial arts move she could think of to get away, but when she escaped one set of hands, another took its place in restraining her.

Finally, she resorted to the old-fashioned kicking and screaming, part of it from the pain in her wrist, and the other part due to the unfairness of the situation. Her whole team had been captured, probably to become slaves or experiments to the enemy.

They got her pinned to the floor, pieces of broken stone digging uncomfortably into her back, and an agent rolled up the sleeve on her good arm. She writhed with renewed effort, and when she frantically called his name again, her voice was becoming hoarse with the strain. She barely registered the pinch in her arm.

Fresh tears ran down her cheeks. They had failed, so utterly and completely. And it broke her heart.

Liquidly coolness entered her veins, spreading throughout her body. Her pulse slowed, her struggles weakened, her thoughts slurred.

Blackness, velvety, comforting blackness crept into her mind. Her eyelids drooped, her sobs grew faint.

She didn't fight the darkness - she welcomed it. A place to escape all that had happened, a place to just _let go_, even if it's for a little while. A place to be _free_.

But before she slipped into the oblivion, she whispered _his_ name, her twin's.

"Chase."

Her eyes closed, and she gave in to the darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi! It's me again. Oh, look! I come with a gift! Chapter One! Anyway, I'm hoping to keep to a weekly schedule, so expect updates every Saturday or Sunday. Fair warning: I consider the first few chapters a little boring, but they're just fillers. Just a quick question: Has anyone ever smelled the fragrance of a hand soap and could imagine your favorite celebrity smelling the same way? It happens to me all the time. Weird, right? **

**Thanks to 4EVERA POLARBEAR LOVER, FOREVERLABRATSLOVER, dorienvera, and KrisKat for being my very first reviewers. And a shout out to anyone who has followed, favorited, or simply read my story. You guys rock.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own Lab Rats. This story is purely just for fun. **

* * *

The family sat at a very nice dining table in a very nice restaurant, and all were very nicely dressed. While they talked and laughed, a waiter serving them disappeared unnoticed through a door in the wall perpendicular to the end of the table. The waiter was nervous and timid; he fidgeted with his hands as he stood in the semi-darkness before a desk where a figure shrouded in shadow sat behind it in deadly silence.

Clearing his throat, the waiter said quietly, "Sir, they're here." The man behind the desk stirred and caused the waiter to flinch in surprise, but the shadowed man merely reached forward to pick up a remote on the desk. Clicking a button, the man turned around and faced a now-alive TV on the wall behind him. The waiter peered around the silhouetted man and saw that the footage was from a single security camera with a perfect view of the family sitting at their table.

A sinister smile played on the man's lips, and dark chuckles rose from his throat, creeping out the poor young waiter even more and he slipped away from the room, not going unnoticed by the man, but not stopped either. He watched the second youngest boy as he reluctantly put down the book he was reading as requested by the older sister; the man's smile grew wider in triumph as he watched the boy, his eyes flicking momentarily to the dark-haired man at the head of the table before turning back to the teen. With the reflection of the TV shining in his eyes, the man though with glee, _Finally._

* * *

"Chase!" scolded a sixteen-year-old girl with pretty auburn hair. "Put the book down! We're here to eat and socialize – not to read and be a recluse."

Adam, the dark-haired teen sitting next to Chase, gasped. "Chase is turning into a spider?! Quick! Someone give me a shoe!" Chase furrowed his brow and spread his hands in a what-the-heck kind of gesture, but complied with a sigh and a glare directed at his sister; he closed the book and put it in the messenger backpack that he brought with him.

Resting his forearms on the table, Chase muttered under his breath, "Yes, Mother." He hadn't meant for anyone to hear him, but Leo, who was sitting to his left, and Adam to his right, did; their quiet snickers were proof enough. Chase had been reading a physics book worthy of Einstein, but it was all wrong. For Chase, going through physic books and correcting them was considered fun.

"Now, Bree," soothed Tasha - Chase's, Adam's, and Bree's stepmom and Leo's mother - , "you could have said 'please'." Bree looked down at her hands resting on her lap.

"Sorry," she said, but Chase couldn't tell if she was apologizing to him or Tasha.

"Now, guys, I expect you to be on your best behavior," warned Donald Davenport, father figure to the three siblings, stepfather to Leo, husband to Tasha, and more importantly (to him) a billionaire inventor.

Chase rolled his eyes good-naturally. "Of course, Mr. Davenport. Aren't we always?" he asked innocently, eliciting a few small laughs from everyone at the table except for Davenport who sighed in defeat.

"Seriously, kids. That means no smashing, crashing, banging, tearing, burning, arguing, or running – not even a breeze." Davenport emphasized his list by ticking the items off his fingers. See, the Davenports were the most _not _normal family in the whole world. While Davenport's inventions themselves were crazy and weird, his best creations ever were sitting right at his table. Adam, Bree, and Chase were bionic beings, humans advanced with technology and special abilities. Adam, the oldest of the three at the age of seventeen yet could hardly be called the smartest, had super strength, laser-shooting eyes, and other abilities currently unknown to the others and himself. Bree, the middle sibling, had super speed and voice mimicry, so far. Chase, the youngest and the only one to have seemingly discovered all of his abilities, had super intelligence, super senses, molecular kinesis, force fields, and an alter-ego called Spike; however, Spike rarely showed himself.

Leo snorted. "Please, Big D. Piece of cake." Bree looked skeptical.

"Tell the world that," she said, crossing her arms. Davenport had created them to go on missions that would be impossible for normal humans.

Adam, who had barely said a word since the rolls arrived, finally piped up with a mouth full of bread. "Thell the worlth whaht?"

"To take the night off," said Chase tiredly. The last few days alone had been booked with missions. The bionics had barely had a five minute break after completing one mission before they got shipped off to the next. The rise in crime and inventions gone wrong was baffling, to say the least, but the whole family was too tired to even think about it. Which was why they were relaxing at a restaurant; they all needed to unwind.

Unfortunately for and unknown to them, this night was the last tranquil night before all heck would break loose and where much worse times to come would push this family to its limit.

* * *

The man continued to study the family with interest. If he wanted to hurt Davenport as much as possible, he needed to find the right pressure point. Sure, the inventor loved his wife and stepson, but he hadn't been around them long enough to make deep emotional and family ties. The bionic teens, however, were raised by him, had grown on him.

To the man, the youngest bionic seemed like the most logical solution. Almost every sibling and parent had a soft spot for and a special connection with the youngest and the great need to protect them. Should that youngest sibling be ripped away, the effects would be devastating. The man had no intention of physically harming the boy (just scare him a little, maybe kidnap him then let him go with a message to Davenport) because emotional damage would have the same consequences. From his observations, a few blows to the young bionic's self-esteem would be crippling, causing the boy to withdraw so deep into his genius mind that no one could pull him out.

But of course, his plans didn't stop there.

The man laughed. Yes, this will be so much fun.

* * *

The Davenports left the restaurant happy and full. Adam was hogging everyone's mints that the restaurant gave with the check, and everyone laughed at his childishness.

"You would think we were starving our kids," Mr. Davenport said to Tasha with a smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and keeping her warm in the chill air. Chase was epically losing a battle to hide his chuckles.

"Did you see the look on the other peoples' faces when Leo and Adam ordered a fifth serving of calamari?" he rasped out to Bree who covered her smile with her hand.

"That was priceless," she agreed. Leo and Adam shared a confused glance before looking back at Bree and Chase, but then Leo's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he turned to walk backwards to face them as he pointed accusingly at them.

"Okay, you two. You guys obviously know something. Spill." Chase and Bree looked at each other shrugged.

Bree smiled and asked, "Do you even know what calamari is?" Leo slowly shook his head, obviously sensing the answer would be unpleasant.

Chase burst out laughing, cradling his midsection. "Dude! Calamari is _squid_!" The look on Leo's face and Adam's sudden fit of coughing caused Chase and Bree to lean on each other to support themselves as they died of hysterical laughter. Tasha and Donald had stopped to watch further up ahead, and they smiled at the kids' antics. Mr. Davenport studied his bionics, and it never ceased to amaze him how big they've grown and how much they've changed since they've left the lab, allowing them to grow into their own personas. Bree had grown more secure and responsible, looking after her brothers while also making decisions for herself. Chase had become more humble while also becoming more outgoing and mature. And Adam was, well, still Adam, but that's what made him unique.

"Come on, kids," called Tasha, holding her arm out. Leo came to her and they linked arms while he still wore a disgusted expression. Davenport dropped back until he was walking amid Bree and Chase and he playfully ruffled Chase's hair, much to the teen's obvious embarrassment, but who was also secretly pleased on the inside.

Davenport looked between his kids and said, "Thank you, guys, for keeping it cool tonight. It really meant a lot to me. I've been wanting to take Tasha out for a nice dinner for a while now, and I'm glad I brought you all along." Adam smiled generously.

"No problem, Mr. Davenport." Speaking in a professional voice, Adam said, "I think I speak for Chase and Bree when I say thank you for taking us to our first fancy restaurant." Chase and Bree snickered quietly, but nodded anyway.

Donald waved his hand dismissively while smiling shyly at the praise. "Aw, you guys are the best, really." He went to tousle Chase's hair again, but the boy ducked, and everyone laughed while Adam pulled Chase close by the shoulders, hugging him as Davenport clapped a hand on the youngest' shoulder, and Bree linked her arm with Davenport's like Tasha and Leo.

The family walked to the van they rode in and headed for home. Chase, who got stuck in the far back but didn't mind because he could stretch out on the entire seat, drowsily watched out of the window above his feet as the city lights flew by. It was late, 10:37:43 P.M. to be exact; it was the first time the bionics had gotten a good break from the missions, and they were all tired, but Chase, with his hands clasped behind his head, was the first to fall asleep.

Mr. Davenport listened from the passenger seat (oddly enough, Tasha insisted on driving, which was probably a good thing considered Donald had been running on caffeine the past three days) as Bree humored Adam's still active but slowly winding down mind with quiet stories of school; Leo was looking out of his window from his spot on the other side of Bree, who was in the middle. Davenport turned slightly in his seat to see the three children were all looking as if they could fall asleep any second, but he frowned when he couldn't see Chase.

As if reading his thoughts, Tasha looked in the rearview mirror and whispered, "He's passed out across the seat. Poor kid." Donald turned back around, satisfied. He worried slightly about the youngest bionic, who had a very hyper-active mind, more active than even Adam's, and sometimes that can get in the way of sleep (Davenport could relate to that: Having millions of ideas floating around in your brain when you're lying awake at night with nothing to keep your mind busy), or what little he had had in the past few days. Not that the kid would come to him if he wasn't able to sleep – no, he was much too stubborn for that. But maybe Davenport could get a prescription of strong sleeping pills if the kid actually did come to him or if it was necessary, voluntary or not.

Tasha pulled into their driveway after an hour on the road, and the two adults got out of the car to assist the teens. Leo had also fallen asleep, and had to be carried by Tasha who still didn't mind carrying her fourteen-year-old son, but Bree and Adam managed to drag themselves out of the van and into the house. Mr. Davenport folded back the middle seats in order to get to Chase who was still very much asleep, and he watched as youngest bionic's chest rose and fell with each breath and studied his peaceful yet uncharacteristically childish and unguarded facial expression. While most would say Chase was usually too honest for his own good, he always had a lock on most of his feelings most of the time, and, while he could be childlike, he could hardly be called a juvenile; sometimes, it was hard to remember that Chase was still a growing teen with needs like any other normal kid.

Davenport wondered if he should wake the bionic up, but quickly decided against it. Awkwardly, because he never had to do this before, the dark-haired man gathered Chase into his arms and followed the rest of the family into the house.

No one was in the living room; Tasha was probably upstairs, tucking in Leo, while Bree and Adam must have stumbled downstairs to their capsules. In the elevator on the way to the lab in the basement, Davenport looked down at the sleeping teen in his arms, and he again came to the realization that he had been treating the kids more as bionics designed to save the world instead of human beings who needed the same things as other growing teens: friends, parental guidance in their lives, the freedom to experience the world and to make mistakes only to learn from them; Davenport guessed that he had been so afraid that the world would find out about the bionics and the government would take them away and force them to become slaves to various and dangerous tests (and to his shame, he was afraid that the government would make bigger advancements that he) that he just shut the children away without a second thought about how that would hinder their psychological growth. Briefly, an image of him handing over a baby to two joyful parents flashed in his mind, but he swiftly pushed it away. He hadn't thought about her in a long, long time.

The elevator doors dinged open, and Davenport walked into the lab to see Adam and Bree already asleep in their capsules, and Donald gently put Chase in his, closing the door and turning off the lights before leaving the lab and going back upstairs. Tasha was waiting for him, and together they went upstairs, unknowingly going to have the last full and peaceful sleep for a while.

* * *

**Aaannnddd, cut! Well, that's chapter one folks. I hope the characters didn't seem too OOC. Maybe Donald was, but whatever, right? I hope it gets better the further we go. Please review and let me know what you think! I love feedback.**


	3. Chapter 2

**It's me again. Bringing you chapter two. The action starts picking up a little here. Oh, and just to be clear, that creepy dude first introduced in chapter one is _not_ Douglas. I remember back when I was writing the first few chapters at how similar my villain is to Douglas. I don't think that telling you guys that is a spoiler for the rest of the story; it just clears things up a bit. Also, if you think the humor is cheezy from now on, it's because I'm not good at writing humor. So that's why Adam might be a little OOC and that this story will be _way_ more serious than the show.**

**Thanks to dorienvera, shanzlol, KrisKat, and goldengirl28 for your reviews on my last chapter. And also, thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, or read my story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats, blah, blah, blah. You guys know the drill. **

* * *

The day started out like normal for once. Kinda.

Chase woke up refreshed, but was the last one up, apparently. By the time he got upstairs, Bree, Adam, and Leo were already half finished with breakfast; Tasha was at the stove, cooking for her and Mr. Davenport. "Here you go, sweetie," she said, pointing to a plate on the counter next to her. "I saved you some." She glared at Leo who gave his best _What did I do?_ look. Chase accepted the plate with a quiet "thank you" and took a seat on the end of the island by Adam who jumped slightly at Chase's presence.

"Oh, look!" he said teasingly. "Sleeping Beauty has awakened!" He studied Chase closely. "But you don't look anything like her. She has long blond hair, and she's really tall."

Chase rolled his eyes. "That's because I'm a boy, Adam."

His brother squinted at him. "Are you sure...?"

Chase paused, looking at Adam with a deadpanned expression. "Quite sure."

As Chase dug into his scrambled eggs, Davenport came downstairs to check out the food. "Oooo, that smells good, honey," he said to Tasha, giving her a peck on the cheek as he observed her cooking skills. Turning back to the kids, he pointed at them sternly, "We leave in ten. You'd better get packin'." They all nodded, devouring what was left of their breakfast in seconds before Leo rushed upstairs to get his backpack, while the three bionics went down to the lab to get theirs. Since Adam didn't get to finish his homework and didn't have time to do it before they had to leave, Chase gave Adam the answers to write down.

"Wait…" Adam started with a confused look while Chase stood by his side impatiently with arms crossed and his backpack resting at his left hip. "Why can't you just write the answers?" Chase rolled his eyes and gave a frustrated sigh before explaining his reply as if he was talking to a three-year-old.

"Because, my handwriting won't match yours." It finally clicked for Adam, and his face brightened.

"Ah, smart thinking, little brother." Chase once again rolled his eyes, but a smile played at the corners of his lips at Adam's childlike nature.

He thought wryly, _It wouldn't take a genius to figure that out, big brother._

* * *

The bus ride was uneventful – if you considered two new kids, a boy and a girl, staring daggers at you the whole time uneventful. For some reason, Chase got the eerie feeling that he should steer clear of those kids, and the fact that both teens had the _exact_ same classes as him only served to solidify the feeling, though it was kind of hard to avoid people if they're in all of your classes…and have lockers right next to yours.

The thing that surprised him most was that they were able to answer _every single question_ the teacher asked in seconds, before his brain even got the chance to register what the question was. He had always prided himself on his quick problem solving and extremely high IQ, and to have newbies come in and "outsmart" him… it left him extremely confused – and boy, did he hate to be confused – but it also left him a little bit hurt. Davenport obviously exaggerated his skills if _normal teens_ could answer every question from the teacher in a heartbeat and his "super intelligent" bionic couldn't.

The thought had crossed Chase's mind that they could be cheating, but as he observed them, never once did they look down at their hands, or desks, or laps, and besides, how could a student anticipate what questions a teacher would ask?

Chase could tell by the evil eye they were giving him that they were going to make their move, whatever it was, soon. Soon came too soon enough.

* * *

The dynamic duo made their move at lunch time. Classic.

Chase was at his locker, putting away the books he didn't need and taking out the books he did need; when he shut his locker, they were waiting for him.

"So," the girl, who was very skinny but fit, sneered. "You're the 'genius' of this school, huh?" Chase eyed them warily.

"Who's asking?" The bionic teen thought that was a clever response, but it only seemed to irk them.

"It's none of your concern," said the boy, about Adam's age, but way more buff and cruel.

"Then who I am is none of yours, either," Chase snapped back, and tried to push past them but the boy stepped forward and put a meaty finger to his chest, stopping him.

"We already know who you are," he said slyly, glancing back at the sniggering girl. "And we're gonna make ya wish you were dirt before the month is over." As he was speaking, Steroid Boy poked Chase roughly in the chest until Chase's back bounced against a wall.

Swallowing down his nervousness and fear, Chase tried to act brave but failed considerably when his voice came out in a falsetto. "It takes you guys a month? I've known people who can do that in a _day_."

The boy smiled, showing overly-exaggerated yellow and broken teeth, something you would see on an antagonist in a child's movie. "True, but then it wouldn't be as _fun_." The boy gave a hard shove, and Chase hit the wall with a dull thud; he rubbed the back of his head where it came in contact with the cold stone and watched as the two marched past him and into the cafeteria. Taking a few minutes to calm his racing heart, Chase reluctantly followed the two. They were nowhere to be seen when he entered the busy room, but Chase didn't feel relieved.

He grabbed a food tray and stood in line, but he was suddenly pushed back as mountain of muscle barged his way between Chase and the person in front of him, followed by a slim body. Steroid Boy laughed and said mockingly, "Oh, I'm sorry, dork. I didn't mean to cut in front of you; it's just that I didn't see you." The girl broke into giggles, along with anyone else who heard.

_Oh, come on!_ he groaned inwardly. He knew he was short, but he seriously couldn't be _that_ short. Chase could only glare at the two, wishing he had Adam's heat vision to literally burn holes in the back of their heads. The bionic teen finally got his lunch and went to join Leo and his siblings, but a foot came out of nowhere, tripping him, and his tray of food went flying… right into the laps of the cheerleaders and football players. He stood there in total shock as they glared at him, shouting insults and threats as they brushed off his food, and barely registered that everyone was staring at him.

The foot that tripped him belonged to Slim Girl, and she laughed loudly, getting everyone's attention before saying, "Wow, such a dork! I saw him do that on purpose. He's so jealous of the popular people over there that he dumped his lunch on them." Kids murmured to each other, giving Chase weird looks and inching away from him while all he could do was stand there with shoulders slightly slumped as he looked around the room. Chase took a deep breath, straightened, and imagined all of his feelings disappearing down a bottomless and pitch black pit before walking over to his family and sitting down by Leo where he rested his arms on the table and fiddled with his fingers, staring blankly at nothing.

"Hey, man," said Leo quietly. "The lunch line is still open." Chase's eyes barely flicked to Leo before he was back to staring at the table.

"No, thanks," he said just as quietly, but with an emotionless voice that scared Bree and Leo, the only ones to pick up on it. Adam, however, didn't.

He wagged a carrot stick at Chase accusingly. "Hey, you're the one who's always nagging me about eating healthy. And here you are, being a hypocrite because you're not even eating." Adam finally got hypocrite right, and Chase looked up with a small amount of surprise in his expression.

"I'm just not hungry, Adam. How can I be healthy if I eat when I'm not even hungry?" Adam thought about it for a minute before nodded with a smile.

"Good point."

The rest of the day just went downhill from there. The nerds of the school, besides Chase, quickly realized that Chase was no longer the smartest kid in school, so they flocked to Steroid Boy and Slim Girl for help instead of Chase, and the bionic couldn't help but feel the pang of betrayal because some of those nerds just happened to be his friends. Chase was sitting in last period class as he followed this train of thought, and he huffed quietly to himself. _Some friends,_ he thought just as his chest tightened with sadness. _What do those two want?_ he asked himself as he glanced at the said two who were sitting near the front of class, diagonal to him; as if sensing his eyes on her, Slim Girl twisted her head around and she and Chase locked gazes, only for her to smirk and look away. Chase sighed.

He was not looking forward to the days ahead.

* * *

Needless to say, Chase was so relieved when he was able to flop down on the couch in Davenport's living room. Exhausted, he covered his eyes with his forearm and practically melted into the plush cushions. Adam entered in next, and taking advantage of Chase's current sitting position, Adam _tried_ (tried, but failed) to sneak up behind his youngest sibling, hands raised as he tiptoed across the floor. Just as he was about to latch onto his brother's shoulders so he could shake him while yelling, Chase said, "Go away, Adam. I can hear you breathing." Adam straightened and dropped his hands to his sides.

"Oh, come on!" he whined before he trudged down to the lab with shoulders sagged at his unsuccessful attempt to scare his brother. Bree came in next, shuffling her feet as she texted and walked at the same time, heading for the lab like some kind of zombie who would occasionally laugh at dumb jokes from a dumb boyfriend. And last but not least, Leo walked in with an overly cheerful smile on his face. Leo immediately spotted Chase, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, he plopped down next to Chase and turned to face him with an elbow resting on the back of the couch.

"So," he drawled out in a voice that clearly stated he wanted something. "How was school today?" Sighing, Chase peeked out from under his arm and stared at Leo warily.

"What is it, Leo?" Leo ignored the underlying frustration in the bionic's voice and continued on with his plan.

"Wellll…" At Chase's impatiently raised eyebrow, Leo cut the act and said quickly, "I was hoping you could do my homework for me while I go hang out with some friends at Dead Man's Arcade." Irritation flared in Chase's chest, and before he could stop himself, he stood up and walked over to the island counter in the kitchen.

"Leo! How many times have I told you that I won't do your homework for you? Davenport would have my head if he found out!" Leo followed him, not ready to give up yet.

"But you do Adam's!" Chase shook his head.

"It's not the same thing. Let's face it, Adam can barely add '1+1' let alone algebra. You, on the other hand, can do your own work just fine. You don't need me."

Leo clasped his hands together and shook them in a pleading manner. "Please, Chase! It's only this one time." The bionic snorted and leaned against the island.

"That's what you told Bree, too, when you asked her to super speed you to class. It's like candy, Leo: You can't have just one piece. Before you know it, you go back for more and more and soon you become addicted."

"But I _promise_! It's _just this once_." Leo threw out his last card: the puppy dog eyes and pouty lip. "Please!" Looking at Leo's face, Chase almost gave in, but then something else occurred to him.

"Wait," he said slowly, pointing at Leo while his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Isn't Dead Man's Arcade for kids seventeen and older? What are you doing there? You're way too young." Leo's eyes widened for just a few seconds in an "oh, snap" kind of look; he schooled his features, replacing his anxiety with one of his big (and fake) smiles as he placed an arm around Chase's shoulders, guiding him along as he talked.

"You see, I got this connection, and they said they could get me in as easy as, oh, shall we say… laughing at Adam. But, since my mom won't let me go anywhere unless I finish my homework, I won't be able to go, and I have to be there by three thirty." Leo grabbed Chase's left hand and read his watch. "Which is twenty minutes from now." Leo jumped in front of the bionic, who had crossed his arms and whose eyes were still wary. "_Please_, Chase. You gotta let me go! All of my friends will be there." Another red flag went up in Chase's mind.

"What friends, Leo?" he asked, his voice somewhat higher due to his disbelief that Leo would keep lying to him. "None of your friends are old enough to even play a single game in that place, let alone you. And they certainly couldn't be your 'connection'." Leo sighed in frustration.

"They're the new kids, alright?!" An image of the two new teens that had been bullying him flashed in Chase's mind, but then Leo continued, shattering that idea. "They wear all of this punk clothes and stuff, and they're really cool. They're the first seniors _ever_ to actually want to talk to me instead of giving me wedgies." Chase raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Well, okay, they give me wedgies but they're gentle about it." Chase rolled his eyes before turning away and taking a few steps, but then he turned back around.

"Leo, do you know how bad that place is?" he asked with incredulity. This time it was Leo's turn to snort and cross his arms.

"Oh, and you do? You're _fifteen_."

"I've seen kids go in there that come out, never to be the same again. They get this glazed look in their eyes and walk around like zombies for the rest of the day, heck, even a few days. I've heard that those same people have nightmares for weeks." Chase paused and looked Leo straight in the eye. "Do you really want that?" Leo looked away.

"Fine," he spat. And that's when a brilliant and devious idea came to him. He waited a few moments, and when Chase started to walk towards the elevator that led to the lab, Leo ran to catch up with him. "Oh, Chase, wait!" Chase stopped just before the elevator and turned around expectantly. "I just remembered! Davenport wanted me to show you something." Leo pretended to think hard, as if trying to recall what Davenport said. "Ah, he wanted me to show you some new upgrades for the capsules." Chase accepted his story.

"Okay. Bree and Adam are already down there." He pushed the button for the elevator. "Where is Davenport, by the way?"

"He and my mom went shopping." Leo chuckled. "They're gonna be a while." Chase smirked and stepped into the now-opened elevator car, and Leo followed him in seconds later.

When the two teens reached the lab, Adam and Bree were nowhere to be found. Chase saw a note on one of the desks and picked it up. "Hey, it's from Bree. She says, '_Adam would _not_ stop pestering me until I took him for ice cream. In Florida. Don't ask me why because I don't know why myself. There's perfectly good ice cream in the freezer upstairs. Sincerely, Bree._'" Chase glanced over at Leo, and for some reason, the kid looked immensely relieved, but Chase didn't bother to ask. "So, what are the upgrades that Davenport wanted to show me?"

Leo replied, "Well, he said you have to be in your capsule to experience the new upgrades completely, so – in you go." Leo gently shoved Chase towards his capsule, and once the bionic was in, with the door shut, Leo thought back to yesterday when Davenport secretly installed sleeping gas into the capsules.

"_This is for emergencies only, Leo," he had said. "Say some whacko dude broke into our house and took us hostage. All we have to do is get him into one of the capsules and then you push this button. The gas instantly fills the capsule, and the intruder is sent off to la la land."_

"_Cool!" Leo exclaimed._

"_But it's not for playing practical jokes on anyone, you understand me?" Davenport had looked at Leo with stern, dark eyes._

"_Yes, but is this why you're telling_ me_ instead of Adam, Bree, and Chase?" Davenport nodded. _

"_Yeah. Adam would probably do it to Chase just for fun, Bree would do it to Adam and Chase just to get them out of her hair, and Chase would probably do it to Adam to get Adam back."_

_Leo furrowed his brows. "But how do you know that I won't do it to any of them?"_

"_I don't, but I'm trusting you to make the right choice."_

Leo felt a pang of guilt and almost backed off from what he was about to do, but then Chase asked, "Well?" and he shook off the feeling. Going to the arcade was definitely an emergency.

"Just a moment," Leo said, and his sly grin surfaced which caused Chase's heart to beat faster with growing anxiety and his stomach churned with dread.

"Wait!" he called, pushing against his door, but Leo had locked it, and now the bionic pounded on the polymer, but it was useless; no one could break the polymer except for Adam. "Leo, what are you doing?!"

Leo grinned. "I can't have you blabbing to Davenport or my mom about the arcade, and I can just get Bree to do my homework." Leo paused and pretended to study Chase with concern. "My, you look tired. I think it's time for you to take a nap." Leo adjusted the dosage so that it would last for three hours. He should be back home by then. With an evil grin and a wicked glint in his eyes, Leo pushed the button before rubbing his hands together and laughing like a psycho.

Chase heard the sound of air a pipe makes when pressure is released, and he suddenly found it hard to stay awake. "Leo, don't," he whispered before his eyes slipped closed and he fell into unconsciousness.

Still smiling, Leo said, "Too late, already did." Once in the elevator, Leo congratulated himself on his successful plan. But then a worm of doubt wriggled itself into his heart, and before he could push it away, his conscience asked, _When have I become so evil?_

* * *

**So that's chapter two. Please let me know what ya'll think :) **


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm baaaaaack. And guess what? Stuff actually happens in this chapter. I tried to add action, but action scenes just aren't my thing 'cause I always make them too descriptive and it just ruins the effect. Anyway, let me know what you guys think! Always much appreciated! :)**

**Just a little tidbit of what's been happening lately: I rediscovered my love for NBC's Heroes. Anybody else watch it?**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed my story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats. **

* * *

When Davenport got home, the first thing he noticed was the silence. The whole house was dead silent, and that immediately raised the inventor's suspicions. Quietly setting the groceries he was carrying down on the kitchen counter, he asked slowly, "Eddie… Where are the kids?" The computerized home system appeared on the display screen closest to Davenport.

"Well, hello to you, too," Eddie said crankily. At Mr. Davenport's glare, the computer yawned and said, "Fine. Speedy and Superman dashed off to the sunshine state while your evil stepson and Einstein had a confrontation which led Darth Vader to freeze Luke in carbonite." Although Eddie's movie references were confusing to the inventor, Davenport got the gist of it and his heart nearly stopped; Bree and Adam could handle themselves because going to Florida was no big deal, but the mention of Leo and Chase did not sound good.

"Eddie, could you show the security footage of Chase and Leo and their…confrontation? Please?" Eddie rolled his eyes.

"As long as you said please, then I guess it's alright." Eddie's image was replaced by crystal clear security footage of the living room, where Davenport could see Chase sitting on the couch with his forearm covering his eyes, and the inventor was worried at how tired his youngest bionic looked, despite the good rest he had last night. Then came Adam, and Davenport couldn't help but smile at the sixteen-year-old's attempt to scare his brother and Chase's comment on how he could hear Adam breathing; Mr. Davenport wasn't surprised when Bree shuffled in, chin glued to her chest as she texted and made her way down to the lab. When Leo walked in, the adult could immediately tell something was off with his stepson.

Davenport listened in on the conversation couldn't help but admire how maturely Chase was handling the situation. For a moment, Davenport was worried that Chase might give in, but he could practically see the light bulb go off in the bionic's head just before he asked Leo about the arcade he wanted to go to. With increasing horror, he watched as the argument grew between the two teens, and as Chase walked away after Leo 'gave in', Davenport saw his stepson's eyes flash with cunning unlike anything Big D. had ever seen in Leo; the said person followed the bionic, and the security camera footage switched so that Davenport could now watch them as they stood in front of the elevator.

"_I just remembered!"_ Leo said. _"Davenport wanted me to show you something."_ Pause. _"Ah, he wanted me to show you some new upgrades for the capsules."_

Davenport blinked. What upgrades? He only made one – …Oh. Davenport swallowed thickly, feeling betrayed and appalled. As Chase read Bree's note in the lab, Davenport dreaded the next few moments as Chase was completely unsuspecting of Leo's intentions.

"_So, what are the upgrades that Davenport wanted to show me?"_ Chase asked.

"_Well, he said you have to be in your capsule to experience the upgrades completely, so – in you go."_ Leo pushed Chase towards his capsule.

Leo spaced out for a few moments, and Chase asked, _"Well?"_

"_Just a moment,"_ Leo said, and a deceitful grin appeared on his face, and that's when Chase figured out something wasn't right.

"_Wait!"_ Chase yelled, pounding on his capsule door, but Leo had locked it, and Davenport knew that no one besides Adam could break the polymer. _"Leo, what are you doing?!"_

"_I can't have you blabbing to Davenport or my mom about the arcade, and I can just get Bree to get my homework."_ Leo paused to study Chase with mock concern. _"My, you look tired. I think it's time for you to take a nap."_ Davenport could only watch the footage with disgust as Leo adjusted the sleeping gas dosage, and his heart lurched at the terror written across Chase's face. As the gas leaked into Chase's capsule, Leo laughed and rubbed his hands like a mad scientist; he certainly had the crazy look on his face right.

Davenport could barely hear Chase whisper, _"Leo, don't"_ before the bionic was forced into unconsciousness by the gas, falling back against the glass and sliding down until he was sitting on the floor of the capsule.

As Leo walked away, the dark-haired man watching the screen heard his stepson say, _"Too late, already did."_

_What had Leo become?_ Davenport wondered as he raced down to the lab to check on his youngest bionic – no, his _son._

* * *

The first thought that came to Chase's sleepy mind was, _What is that awful smell?_ Sure enough, the foulest smelling air entered Chase's nose and he briefly wondered if Adam let one rip in his capsule, but then, as the bionic groggily got to his feet and hastily pushed out of his case, coughing the whole time, he become conscious of the fact that he had been alone. His feet stumbled on the capsule's thresh hold, and it was as he was about to take a step to steady himself that he also realized that his legs were very weak and they chose that moment to give out. Luckily, someone caught him before he did a fantastic face plant on the lab's cement floor.

A muffled voice reached his ears, but his brain was still too muddled to comprehend what the person was saying, and since his nose was still plugged from the whatever-it-was gas and his face was buried in someone's shirt, he wasn't able to identify who it was that caught him. If he had been able to move his stupid arms, he'd have clutched his pounding head. _What happened?_ he groaned inwardly. _My brain feels like it's been removed, put in a blender, and then poured back into my skull. _The person, whoever it was, dragged Chase over to a chair and sat him down, where, finally, his hearing came into focus.

"Chase? Chase! C'mon, wake up, pal." It was Davenport. Chase stared up at the dark-haired man blankly because his eyes were still seeing doubles and he couldn't tell which Davenport was the real one.

"D'enprt?" he slurred, and the inventor was glad that Chase was at least responsive. "Wha happn?" Chase found that his arms were working again, and he brought a hand to hold his head. "Ma hed hurths." Mr. Davenport gently took Chase's wrist and pulled it away before he grasped the bionic's head and searched the teen's unfocused eyes.

"You really don't remember anything?" he asked. He watched as the kid struggled for answers, hoping that Chase would figure it out on his own. He did.

Chase found sudden clarity that came with the memories, and all of his senses and thoughts snapped into place at once. "Leo!" he shouted, jumping to his feet before Davenport could stop him. Putting a hand to his brow, Chase paced a few steps away before snarling, "That brat."

Davenport came up behind him and twisted him around by the shoulders and asked, "Are you okay, Chase?" Chase scowled and looked away.

"No. Leo betrayed me. We were supposed to be friends." Davenport shared the feeling.

"It's not everyday your stepson goes rogue," he agreed as he finished his assessment of the bionic; the kid looked fine physically, but they would have to work on the mental part later. "Come on, kiddo," he said, clasping a comforting hand at the base of Chase's head. "Let's bring Leo home and see what we can do." Chase nodded and followed Davenport to his self-driving car where Chase gave Davenport the Dead Man's Arcade's address to log into the car's system.

After a few minutes of silence, Chase asked, "So… You saw the security tape footage?" At Davenport's nod, the teen gave an empty half smile when his suspicions were confirmed before turning back to look out of his window.

Davenport suddenly remembered something Leo said and had some pieces of the puzzle that needed filling. "Leo said that he had these new friends at school- punk-dressed seniors." He hesitated, but at Chase's expectant look, he continued. "Have you seen them around?"

Chase shrugged before replying, "I don't know. I've been too busy with my own prob- uh, project. Yeah, project." Davenport glanced at his bionic with a disbelieving look and was about to challenge Chase on his weak cover up, but the car suddenly slowed and dinged.

"_Arrived at destination," _said the emotionless female car voice. Both passengers got out of the car and crossed the lot while looking up at its imposing structure. The entire building was made out of blackened bricks with a blood red sign that read "Dead Man's Arcade." Through the automatic glass doors, the entire arcade was dark except for the lights coming from many games inside, and kids stood at almost all of them – too completely obsessed with their game to even care that they had been standing there for hours.

Chase and Mr. Davenport entered the building, searching the games until they spotted Leo standing in front of a game called _Zombie Hunters_, but it was a total understatement. The two watched in disgust as Leo picked up a fake gun connected to the game, tranquilized a zombie, put the gun down, picked up the fake hatchet that was attached to the game, hacked the zombie's head off, put the hatchet back, picked up the fake knife attached to the game, and started cutting the zombie open with sick fascination…doing all of that without even blinking an eye.

Davenport tried talking to Leo, but his words fell on deaf ears, so he and Chase shared a look of agreement before the bionic wrapped his arms around Leo's shoulders while Davenport grabbed Leo's legs, forcefully pulling Leo away from his game which did the trick.

"Put me down, you short person!" he spat, looking up at Chase with frenzied eyes, and was literally foaming at the mouth. He struggled against the hands that held him, but he was still weak compared to the elder teen and adult. However, as soon as they stepped out of the arcade, Leo went completely limp in their grips with glazed-over eyes and a blank expression.

"Seriously," Chase complained. "What is wrong with this arcade?" As Davenport and Chase finished stuffing Leo in Davenport's car, the bionic froze with one foot in the vehicle and his left arm resting on the rim of the roof. "Wait, now that I think about it, all of the kids in there from my school are the ones that get low grades."

Davenport sighed from his side of the car. "Chase, the whole school has low grades compared to you. Be specific." Chase glared at the dark-haired man but continued.

"Those kids in there," he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "all get _D-_'s or lower." Big D's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"But – Leo's been getting _A_'s through _C_'s on his report cards."

A sheepish looked crossed the bionic's face as he said, "Welllll… Not exactly…"

"Chase… What did you do?"

"Okay, fine. Leo was desperate. You and Tasha told him that he couldn't play video games unless his scores improved, and he was having serious withdrawals." At Davenport's disbelieving look, Chase raised his hands in an innocent gesture. "No lie; that kid was terrifying. So, anyway, he coerced me into creating an exact replica of his report card…with a few, uh, small adjustments…" he added reluctantly.

"Unbelievable!" Davenport threw his hands in the air before turning away and turning back again. "Kids and their video games! Leo is so grounded when we get this mess cleaned up." After a few seconds, Davenport spotted a sliver of relief in Chase's eyes and added, "You, too!" At Chase's shocked and guilty expression, he continued. "I am so disappointed in you, Chase. I designed you to be smart – smarter than anyone else in the _world_ – and therefore, I had hoped that you would make wiser choices." With that, Davenport got into the car and slammed his door; when Chase didn't get in right away, the inventor leaned over to peer at Chase. "Get in the car. _Now_." Chase's face darkened and he slammed the door.

The window was down, so he said, "No. I'm walking." Before Davenport had a chance to reply, Chase walked away quickly, his whole body language brimming with anger. Davenport watched him go, his mouth hanging open in shock for a few moments before he snapped it shut and turned on the car before manually driving it home, zooming past Chase.

As Davenport looked in the rearview mirror at the bi- his son, he felt a twinge of worry, almost slowing down to wait for the teen to catch up, but then he shook himself thinking, _He probably needs some time and space to think. He'll be fine._

_I hope._

* * *

As Chase walked, sulking in his thoughts, he stuck his hands into his front pockets as the wind blew open his unbuttoned, red-and-blue-checkered flannel shirt to reveal a black tee underneath. Kicking at a stone on the sidewalk, Chase muttered darkly about Davenport and his blindness to other people's feelings. Chase was just betrayed by his best (maybe only, considering the circumstances) friend, his step-brother, and Davenport was already yelling at him, having completely forgotten about the incident and never once even asked how Chase was feeling. Although, Chase admitted, it would have been kind of awkward if Davenport had asked, but at least he would have asked.

So lost in his thoughts was Chase that he didn't even notice two teens coming up behind him until they grabbed his arms and pulled him down an alley before he even got the chance to comprehend what happened. "Hey!" he yelped. When he saw who it was, he couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face. "What, are you guys following me now?"

Steroid Boy just snarled and Slim Girl snickered; they put him down just long enough so that they could pick him up just like the way Chase and Davenport had done with Leo, but instead of tossing him in a car, they tossed him into a dumpster filled to the brim with smelly, sticky, and disgusting garbage. As Chase scrambled to get out of the garbage, the two took off running with hysterical laughter echoing off of the ally walls, leaving the younger teen alone, spluttering and coughing against the awful fumes.

The bionic flung himself out of the dumpster and landed hard on his side where he proceeded to roll onto his back, still coughing from the garbage, but he managed to get to his feet and lean against the wall, thoroughly disgusted. Pieces of garbage stuck to his clothes and a sticky substance covered his palms from the inside edge of the dumpster – his stomach churned at the thought of all the different germs on the garbage, and he tried as hard as he could to hold down his lunch but ultimately lost the fight and dived behind the dumpster where he emptied his stomach. Now even more revolted, Chase wiped his mouth with his flannel shirt (one of his favorites, by the way) before staggering out of the alley and trudging for home, his mood fouler than before.

* * *

The man watched in interest through a store's outside security camera feeding into his tablet as the boy walked home, his normally cheerful personality was now sullen - it was great. Shadow Man smiled; perfect. His plan was already working. While his two "volunteers" worked on the bionic's self-esteem, he was free to put the rest of his plan into action. With the Davenports focusing on family issues, he was allowed to destroy some inventions here, steal others there – all under the noses of the inventor and his super-human teenagers. Soon, he'll have all the equipment he needs to take over the world, and the only ones able to get in his way would be spread so thin to even stop _.13%_ of his operations.

Stretching, the man stood and walked around his desk, deeper into the shadows where a hidden door was built into the wall. As he pushed the door open, he smiled.

Davenport couldn't surprise him anymore.

* * *

When Chase got home forty-five minutes later, the bionic was in desperate need of a hot shower, clean clothes, and a comfy couch, or bed, to collapse on. Davenport was nowhere to be seen in the upper floors of the house, so Chase assumed he was down in the lab with Leo, and while the long walk home had given the teen time to cool off about Davenport, he was still reluctant to face the inventor… his… father… just yet. So he went upstairs to his room to get fresh set of clothes.

Davenport had reluctantly given each of the bionics rooms, but only because it was to keep their cover story more plausible. If the bionics had friends over, wouldn't it seem suspicious that the teens didn't have any rooms to sleep – to live – in? Each bedroom had a bed, of course, but they were rarely used because the teens still slept in their capsules downstairs; each bedroom had a dresser filled with clothes, accompanied with a closet for dress clothes and shoes; each teen had a desk to do school work or whatever else they wanted to do on it if they couldn't concentrate in the lab; and lastly, each room had a set of shelves for decorations or whatever else they decided to put on there, and a bookshelf; however, the styles of each item listed varied between the three teens, since they got to design their own rooms. Chase's bookshelf was filled with all different kinds of his favorite books, ranging from authors like Shakespeare and Mark Twain and Susan Cooper to James Patterson, Jonathan Stroud, Christopher Paolini, and Rick Riordan. Bree's, however, was the complete opposite.

While the occasional romantic novel was ideal for Chase, Bree's bookshelf was crammed with love stories; so lovey-dovey were they that Chase wanted to puke. Literally. And not only that, but Bree also seemingly managed to collect every fashion magazine ever published. And Adam… well, Adam's book collection was the most interesting. Adam amuses himself with whatever he can find, and that also included his literature. Surprisingly, Adam has all kinds of magazines, from sports to even _fashion_; books for kids through teens.

As he walked past Bree's unoccupied room, Chase couldn't help but stop and make a face at the colors. Bree's queen-sized bed set was the color of dark purple, purplish grey, lavender, and white. The walls were a deeper lavender color, the carpet was white, and white laced blinds blew gently in front of a window. All in all, it gave off a very girly feel, yet it seemed more mature due to the deeper colors. Bree's desk was made out of dark mahogany wood, as was her bookshelf, wall shelves, and dresser. Pictures of friends, girly decorations, stuffed animals, perfume and lotion bottles, and a jewelry box ordained the shelves neatly, but Chase still wrinkled his nose, mostly because of the sweet fumes that circulated in the air but also because of all the girl drama that must go on in this room.

Adam's room was next, but Chase still couldn't help the feeling of disgust as he glanced in his older brother's room. It looked as if a tornado had specifically targeted Adam's room, and that was putting it lightly; clothes were strewn around the room _everywhere_ – dirty and clean – as well as magazines, old pizza and various take-out boxes (to Chase's immediate repulsion, some boxes still had food in them), and many, many wires from all of the different game controllers and consoles. Davenport had granted Adam his request for video games in his room, and that was why Adam was the only one with a TV, strictly for gaming purposes only. The colors of Adam's room were like the colors of the light spectrum; his walls were blinding orange, the carpet was light green, his king-sized comforter set was red and black, his desk chair was yellow to go with his black desk, and his wooden shelves, bookshelf, and dresser were stained dark brown.

Chase passed by the only spare bedroom upstairs, completely empty and boring. He paused in the doorway, but soon moved on, shaking off a strange feeling.

Lastly, Chase came to his room. Each room was the same size, so when the bionics picked out their rooms, no one would have an unequal amount of space, and Davenport allowed them to design their rooms the way they wanted them so no one could be accused of having a nicer room. While Bree's and Adam's rooms were colorful and light, the youngest bionic's room was quiet and calming, colors that wouldn't distract Chase if he was working on a project, which he was most of the time. He chose blue grey walls with a grey carpet and white drapes across his window; his bed, which was only a queen since he didn't need a king, was covered by sheets and a comforter with colors ranging from black, light blue, grey, and white. The top of his desk was made of sturdy glass and was supported black metal legs. Chase's dresser, bookshelf, and shelves were all stained black, and books accompanied every ounce of space on the latter two. Parts of various machines were scattered on his desk and dresser, while his bed was made and ready for use.

Chase gazed at it longingly but shook himself and gathered some clean clothes from his dresser before heading back down the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. He came out of the bathroom ten minutes later smelling – and feeling, mind you – clean, but his relief was short-lived when Bree dashed up the stairs just before he was about to disappear into his bedroom to take a nap. "Chase!" she exclaimed. "Where the heck have you _been_?!" Chase rolled his eyes before turning around to face his sister, about to tell her it was no big deal and that she should leave him alone, but he was cut off. "We've been worried sick, especially Davenport!" That made the youngest sibling freeze for just a second, but his previous, though now dwindling, anger at the inventor resurfaced and he refused to acknowledge that Davenport was actually worried until he saw for himself.

"I… went for a… walk." Chase, never well at lying because he pretty much always told the truth (much to people's annoyance), cleared his throat and elaborated further. "Uh, yeah, I needed to clear my head. Too many ideas in this genius mind of mine." At the last few words, he tapped his temple while simultaneously backing into his room, clasping his hands as his eyes darted nervously from Bree's suspicious face to the bare walls of the hallway. "So, now I've got a really great idea for a project and I'm just gonna work in my room for a while and-" Bree cut him off once again.

"Oh, no you don't. Davenport told us everything about what happened between you and Leo and him." Speeding forward before he could duck into his room and shut the door, she grabbed his arm and super sped him down to the lab, and when Bree stopped and let him go, Chase stumbled as the world spun and he was lucky to bump into a counter to steady himself.

"Chase!" Chase closed his eyes and groaned inwardly at the sound of Davenport's – yes, ladies and gentleman, no lie – worried voice. "Are you okay? When you didn't come home when I thought you would, I thought something happened."

Turning to face the dark-haired man, Chase narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't that late! What was your estimate of my time of arrival?"

"Forty minutes."

Chase made an annoyed gesture with his hand. "I was only five minutes late! Big deal!"

"It is a big deal because I care about you, Chase! I was very worried when you didn't come home right away." Something flashed in the bionic's eyes, but before Davenport could decipher it, Chase looked away to survey the lab. Adam was eating popcorn while watching them, Bree was blocking the main route of escape, and Leo was lying on a gurney with his arms and legs strapped down.

Swallowing, the fifteen-year-old approached Leo, who looked to be asleep – or unconscious. "How is he?" he asked quietly while looking down at his former friend. Davenport came up behind him and laid a hesitant hand on Chase's shoulder, who tensed slightly but then relaxed.

"There was some sort of unidentifiable drug in his system, but from what I can tell, it produces receptors that block the serotonin from reaching the cells of his brain, which can cause obsession, a huge amount of it. Serotonin also regulates body functions like sleeping and memory; a person infected with this drug will cease these functions until the obsession has been appeased, and they'll… do anything to achieve their goal. Obsession _is_ like an addiction-" Chase looked back at Davenport and the two shared a look, obviously thinking about what Chase said to Leo earlier, "a person obsessed with something has to be weaned off of whatever they're obsessed with, like a puppy when it gets too old to stay with its mother." Squeezing Chase's shoulder slightly, Davenport moved to stand on the other side of Leo. Davenport's face turned sad as he gazed at his stepson. "But this drug works fast and strong; it would be impossible to wean them off of their obsession, and I've been able to deduce that the drug kills the infected because – in their fixation – they won't eat, drink, or sleep."

"Or use the bathroom," Adam finally piped up. Chase nodded as if to say, _Good point_.

Davenport paused, momentarily thrown off track, casting a weird look at Adam before continuing. "However, the good news is that I was able to flush most of the drug out of Leo's system before it did too much damage."

"Wait," Bree interjected. "Mr. Davenport, if Leo wasn't supposed to be able to sleep, then why did he go comatose?"

Davenport's brow furrowed. "I haven't the slightest idea." He pouted like a little kid at his inability to figure the problem out when he was supposed to have a genius mind, and he was a little hurt when Chase came up with a solution, but he shouldn't have been surprised because he _designed_ Chase to be smarter than him. Still, though.

"It had to have been the arcade!" the youngest bionic exclaimed. "Remember when I told Leo how kids that go in there never come out the same," he asked Davenport, who nodded. "That had to have been it! Maybe the arcade's…. what-ever-it-is overrode the obsession drug in Leo's body."

Donald was about to respond when Leo stirred. Everyone looked at the teen with expectant faces which slowly turned to confusion when Leo didn't wake. Instead, he looked like he was… kissing?

"Mmmm, Janelle." More smooching sounds. Bree quickly got out her phone and started to take a video while everyone tried to hold back their snickers. "You're the video to my game, the remote to my tv, the- ZOMBIE! Die, die, DIE!" Leo started to thrash around, and if the straps weren't holding him down, it might have looked like he was pounding something into the ground… or chopping a zombie to death with an ax. "Oh, Janelle, did I get zombie blood on your shirt? I'm so sorry. Here, take this napkin. You want me to buy you a new shirt?! Are you insane? Buy your own shirt! Wait… No..! No, don't! Nooooooo!" Leo sat bolt upright, wide awake. "AHHHHHHH! She ate my brain!" Everyone burst out laughing, cradling their stomachs.

Bree stopped the video and said, giggling, "I am so keeping this for blackmail."

* * *

**So, this isn't a cliffhanger. Cool, huh? But don't forget to come back next week 'cause that's when the real action start. See ya next Saturday, peeps. **


	5. Chapter 4

**And here we are again. As you read this chapter, please don't hate me. Hehehe. Also, I would like to thank EVERYONE that has read my story or followed or favorited or reviewed my story. It means a ton. I just get blown away by the responses. *Sniffs and wipes away tears of gratefulness* Anyways... I finally decided to get off my butt and started working on chapter ten, which is coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself. I should probably stop taking up your time and just get on with the story. So here it is!**

* * *

After Davenport had made sure that Leo was completely back to normal, the inventor had finally released his stepson from the restraints. When Leo had asked what happened, the bionics and their creator shared a solemn look before Davenport pulled up the security footage from earlier to show to Leo. Chase left, not wanting to relive through the moment again, while the others stayed down in the lab since Bree and Adam hadn't seen the footage yet, and went upstairs to his room where he collapsed on his bed with his arms folded behind his head, mulling over all that had happened during the day.

The sun was setting outside his window, casting a golden glow over his room. Chase got up jadedly and went to the window, stuffing his hands in his pockets. One of the few reasons that Chase specifically chose this room was the view; dang – the view. It was breathtaking as the sun set behind the hills in the distance with purple, pink, orange, yellow, and red clouds illuminated in the dying light while the city in the valley below, thrown into shadow by the hills, came to life as the lights within the buildings started to shine.

Chase reluctantly turned away from the window before launching himself onto his bed stomach-first and he rested his head on his folded arms before he promptly asleep.

He was shaken awake after what felt like only a few minutes, but his internal clock system told his groggy mind that he had been asleep for an hour.

"Chase!" Tasha. "Come on, honey. It's time for supper." Chase lifted his head and looked at her, a little disoriented, but nodded. Tasha smiled softly, patting his shoulder comfortingly when he sat up before smoothing down his mussed up hair, much to his embarrassment, but he smiled anyway. He sat on his bed for a few seconds after Tasha left, mentally preparing himself, then he got up and went downstairs, fixing his ruffled shirt on the way.

Everyone was seated at the table, dishing food onto their plates, smiling and laughing. When Chase took his seat on Davenport's left, who was sitting at the head of the table, and on Bree's right, everyone else quieted down, eyes flicking between Leo, who sat at Tasha's left, who was at the _other_ end of the table, and the youngest bionic. The two avoided each other's gazes, focusing on their plates, but ultimately ended up pushing around their food with their forks. Everyone noticed this, even Adam, but it was Davenport who broke the awkward silence.

"So, kids, how was school today?"

Bree smiled and said, "Owen had me pose as his model for art class and he painted me to be a princess, and the dress was-"

"Yeah, that's great, Bree," Davenport cut in. Bree shrugged off the interruption, too caught up in her daydream of Owen to care. "Adam?"

The oldest sibling, who was sitting between Leo and Davenport, was in mid-chew of his food when Davenport turned to him. He swallowed the rest of his food before answering. "I got a _D_ on my math test today. The teacher said that I improved a lot. Although, he talked to me as if I was a three-year-old. Do I look three to you?" Adam gestured to himself with an annoyed expression before going back to stuffing food into his mouth.

Bree leaned over to Chase and whispered, knowing his super-hearing would pick up her words, "If you call going from a _D_- to a _D_ a lot of improvement, then I would talk that way too."

Chase smirked and whispered back, "And just because he doesn't _look_ three, doesn't mean he isn't." The two bionics looked back at Adam but froze with wide eyes. Their brother was currently sticking green beans up his nose. "I rest my case," Chase murmured.

"Adam, you can't eat green beans through your nose," Leo said with a disgusted look.

"Well, I just thought that since they're long enough and they can fit in your nose holes that it seemed like a good idea," Adam reasoned innocently.

"First of all, Adam," Chase started, pointing his fork at his older brother, "your 'nose holes' are called _nostrils_. And secondly, the only thing you'll achieve out of this is to cover your green beans in…" he trailed off when Adam pulled the green beans out of his nose and ate them without a second thought, "…mucus." Everyone else stared at him with revolted expressions before looking down at their plates, having suddenly lost their appetite.

Tasha grimaced at Adam, who was still eating, oblivious to the weird looks he was getting, but she then turned to Leo. "And how was school for you, mister?" she said to her son.

Leo glanced quickly at Chase, but the bionic was staring at his plate with a frown, obviously deep in thought, relocating his food from one side of the plate to the other. "Uh, it was great, Mom. Actually, it was pretty normal, minus the fact that I got fewer wedgies than normal." Finally, Davenport looked to Chase.

"And how did it go for you, Chase," he asked, but when Chase didn't respond, Bree nudged him in the side.

"Wha- Huh?"

"I asked, how di-"

Chase cut him off his a wave of his fork. "Oh, it was fine." Then he muttered under his breath, "Just dandy," and then he murdered his steak by stabbing it with his fork and then cutting it with his knife.

Bree frowned and then leaned towards Chase. "Aren't you going to tell them?" she whispered.

"Tell them what? Bree, there's nothing to discuss." Bree straightened and then tossed her hair back stubbornly.

"Mr. Davenport, Chase is being bullied in school." Chase's knife clatters on his plate and he looked at his sister with a shocked and hurt expression.

"Bree!"

Tasha and Donald looked at Bree, their movements frozen.

"What?" Tasha asked, now staring at Chase. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Chase squirmed, this time feeling uncomfortable in the spotlight of attention when he usually craved it. "It wasn't that important. It's not like I haven't been bullied before."

"But this time it's worse," Bree added, ignoring the dark glare she received from her younger brother. Davenport put down his silverware carefully.

"Chase, if something is bothering you, you can come to us, you know that, right?" Chase looked down at his lap and shrugged.

"I just… didn't want to worry you. With what happened to Leo, and everything, it didn't seem important at the time."

Tasha looked at the fifteen-year-old with sympathy. "How bad is it?" she asked softly.

"Pretty bad," he confessed.

"But you have to admit," Adam piped in, "they were pretty smart. They did all of my homework in five minutes." Chase's head whipped up to stare at Adam with betrayal in his eyes.

"You knew they were bullying me, your _brother_, and you still accepted help from them?" He pushed away from the table and stood up. "I can't believe this, even my own family turned against me." Chase threw his hands in the air before turning around and storming down to the lab. Silence hung in the air as the table's occupants stared wide-eyed at each other.

Donald looked at his remaining two bionics warily. "Just how smart are we talking?"

Bree answered gravely, "Beyond Chase-genius." Davenport nodded and stood up, putting the napkin that was on his lap onto the table before following the youngest bionic. Everyone continued eating in silence because no one could find the right words to say.

* * *

Chase was beating the dumb out of the dummy when Davenport got down to the lab. He had used the stairs and his arrival went unnoticed by the teen, at least for now. So the inventor leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms and used this time to observe not the skills of the bionic, but his behavior. The teen was completely angry, that much was obvious, but looking closer, Davenport caught the tiniest sliver of uncertainty and hurt in the teen's body language. Donald's ears perked when Chase started to mutter to himself.

"What if they _are_ smarter than me?" Pause, then a roundhouse kick to the dummy's stomach. "No way… And yet, everyone loves them." A twist around the right side of the dummy then a karate chop to the crook of the neck. "But that's not possible. Unless…" Chase froze and stared into the distance as a terrifying possibility came to mind. "Unless they're not fully human." Davenport had heard enough and decided to announce his presence.

"Chase-" the kid whipped around so fast that he nearly lost his balance, "you know that idea is totally ridiculous." Chase's face quickly morphed from surprise to anger.

"Is it? Think about it: they're smarter and faster than _me_."

Davenport walked closer. "Look, I came down here to try to help you through this situation, but your suspicion that they may be bionic or somehow technologically advanced is farfetched, to say the least. Look, they may just have faster response reflexes than you."

Chase looked at Davenport with a deadpanned expression. "All the nerds at school go to them for help." Davenport furrowed his brow at the momentary stump in his reasoning, but then he came up with another solution.

"Look, Chase, they're new kids who are extremely smart. Wouldn't you try to be friends with them too, as long as they weren't, you know, bullying you." At that moment, any hope that Chase had that his "father" would help him died instantly.

"You know what," Chase said with an empty smile and defeated eyes, "you're probably right. They're just regular bullies that promised to ruin my life in a month. No big deal." Davenport's face scrunched in confusion.

When Chase pushed past Donald, the inventor tried to call the teen back. "Chase, wait-" but then the bionic was gone, and Davenport lost his chance.

For the rest of the night, Chase mostly avoided his family, either reading a book or working on a project as an excuse to get away. And when it was time for bed, Chase was first to get in his capsule and pretended to be asleep when the others arrived. Chase enhanced his hearing to hear their whispers, but he otherwise remained still.

"That was totally unexpected," Bree commented.

"Yeah, who knew Chase could be so dramatic. He should try out for theater at school," Adam said.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Well, be clearer next time."

"Try being smarter next time!"

"Enough already!" Davenport's voice cut in. "What Bree meant was the way Chase acted. He doesn't normally act that way, right, Adam?" he asked the oldest bionic pointedly.

"Ohhhhhhh..." Chase could just imagine the look of understanding dawning on Adam's face.

"Now, did you guys ever see Chase being bullied by those two?"

There was a pause, and Chase guessed that Bree, Adam, and Leo (Chase had intensified his hearing to pick up four heartbeats, so he assumed that the fourth heart belonged to Leo) were sharing uncertain looks.

"Well, we did see the new girl trip Chase at lunch, dumping his food on the jocks and cheerleaders, and then lied saying that he did it on purpose because he was jealous," Bree admitted.

"That's it? That's all you saw?" Davenport's whisper was incredulous.

Leo spoke up quietly, "To be honest, Big D., we don't… really pay much… attention to what Chase does."

"Yeah," Bree agreed shamefully. "We" - Chase could envision her looking to Adam - "always felt that Chase could take care of himself, so we paid more attention to…" she trailed off, too abashed to continue, but Donald finished it for her.

"To yourselves, right?" Davenport sounded disappointed. "Leo, I can understand that you don't really have to look out for Chase since he's older than you, but you two-" Chase visualized Davenport pointing an accusing finger at his older siblings, "-should have been there for him more."

Adam spoke next with sorrow in his voice. "Mr. Davenport, we know that Chase is our baby brother - how could we not? But Chase is…"

"…Chase is not exactly… popular," Bree added. Their voices had already risen from whispers to quiet talking, but Chase knew Davenport was having a hard time keeping a lid on it.

"And you let that stop you?!" he said, his voice rising a few octaves with the strain of keeping quiet but also trying to express his emotions.

"We're sorry Big D.! We'll do better from now on, I promise," Leo pleaded. For a few seconds, the room was dead silent, but then Davenport finally replied.

"Alright," he sighed. "But starting tomorrow, you will watch out for him, and scare off those bullies if you can." Davenport sighed again. "Take care of your brother," he said finally.

The teens agreed, but Chase didn't hear them because, suddenly, a very, _very_ high pitched noise assaulted his ears, probably made worse since his already-sensitive hearing was doubled. The bionic couldn't help the scream that escaped his throat as his hands flew to his ears to try and block the sound, but to no avail. He thrashed in his capsule, and he was only vaguely aware of hands pulling him out. People were trying to calm him down, trying to ask him questions, but nothing except the high pitched whistle that tore through his head was able to get through. Hands grabbed at his flailing limbs, trying to hold him down on the floor where he had been writhing in his agony, and they finally succeeded at pulling his hands away from his ears, pinning his limbs to the concrete floor.

Chase's back arched off of the ground, and he strained his muscles against the hands that restrained him as another scream ripped through his throat, the pain in his head suddenly doubling. Black pushed at the edges of his blurry vision, his eyes now open to see faces looming over him, but then they shut again as a fresh pulse of what-ever-it-was entered his ears, making him struggle harder to curl in on himself. He arched his back again, this time more forcefully, and when he opened his eyes to try to see past the tears that were spilling from his tear ducts, he saw that everyone besides the two that were holding him down was in a frenzy.

Unconsciousness loomed in, and as it got closer, the whistle seemed to get louder. And then, when one more pulse, extremely louder than the rest, came and entered Chase's ears, there was a _pop_.

Total silence engulfed him as the teen's eyes rolled back in his head, his eyelids closed, and his muscles went lax.

* * *

Everyone froze when Chase suddenly went limp, having gone insentient. Leo was the first to move, prying his hands off of Chase's arms and staring in devastation at the marks he had left behind. Adam was next, removing his hands from his younger brother's legs and slowly getting to his feet with a gaping mouth, hardly remembering to breathe. Bree was kneeling beside Chase's head with the sound proof headphones, made specifically for Chase, in her hands, but she had been too late. The fastest human being on earth and she was _too late_.

Davenport stood behind young girl, his hands still in the same position they had been in when holding the headphones before Bree had super-speeded over to him and took them from his hands; his face had gone pale, his eyes wide as he gazed at his son lying on the floor. Tasha had rushed down to the lab when she had heard the screaming, but now she stood in the entranceway with a hand pressed to her mouth in shock. Seconds ticked by and still no one spoke. But then Davenport shook himself and he gently moved Leo and Bree out of the way so that he could gather Chase in his arms and set him down on the gurney the inventor had used for Leo. Tasha came to stand by her husband's side as he silently buckled the cuffs on the teen's wrists and ankles.

"Are the restraints really necessary?" she asked in a small voice, still horrified by what she saw.

Davenport answered only when he was done adjusting the confinements. "They're to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or others if there is another… attack or… something." He searched the lab, collecting the items he needed and setting them on the counter beside the gurney. "Now," he said distractedly, still looking around to see if he was missing anything, "I need… I need everyone to leave this lab, and let me do my work." Adam, Leo, and Bree started to shuffle towards the elevator, Tasha following behind and she put a hand on Bree's shaking shoulder, comforting the bionic as she started to cry.

Just before the elevator door closed, Tasha got a glimpse of Donald leaning over Chase with a scanner in his hand, his face looking grim. Tasha swallowed, looked to the ceiling, and said a prayer to anyone who listened that Chase would be alright.

* * *

Two hours later, Davenport was sitting next to the stretcher on which his youngest bionic lay, deep in slumber; his chin gripped in his left hand, the inventor's face was unreadable as he stared at the teen. A data pad was held in his other hand, ignored for now. The results were _not_ good. He didn't know how to tell his family, and he especially didn't know how to break it to Chase. The kid would be devastated when-

Davenport shuddered out of his thoughts and glanced down wearily at his tablet, but the findings on the screen only sickened him so he stood up and carelessly tossed the data pad on the counter before going over to a glowing screen on the opposite workbench. He replayed the recording he had separated from his security footage, having isolated the background noise and turned up the frequency, with different colored frequency waves, and violá - he uncovered a _very_ high pitch sound that got louder and louder the longer it went on… and it was specifically made just for Chase's ears. It made the man's blood boil at the thought that someone had attacked one of his family members right under his nose.

He looked at the diagnostic he was running beside the recording. He was tracing where the signal had come from, trying to pin point the device that had emitted the sound. Once he found it, he hoped he could find the people who orchestrated the attack, or to at least find traces, so that he could get the device off the street and it wouldn't be used again. Not that it mattered anyway. Davenport sighed and went over to one of Eddy's screens.

"Eddy, could you tell Tasha and the kids to come down here, please?" he said tiredly, glancing at his watch. Twelve-thirty at night.

"Do you want me to wake the brats?" Eddy asked grumpily, appearing for only a few seconds before switching to the living room's security feed to show that Adam had fallen asleep on Bree, who was snoring, and that Leo had fallen asleep on Tasha, who was still awake. All of them had taken up the whole couch, and Davenport felt sorry to wake them up, but they needed to hear what he had found.

"Yes, Eddy." Eddy disappeared only to reappear a few seconds later.

"Boy, was that fun," he said gleefully before the screen went black. About half a minute later, the elevator dinged, and the rest of the family tumbled in, looking absolutely sleep deprived.

"Mr. Davenport, how's Chase?" asked Bree worriedly.

"Yeah, about that," he said hesitantly, rubbing his neck before walking towards the data pad he left on the workbench. After taking it in his hands, he turned to look at his family with a sad expression on his face. They took cautious steps forward as he mustered up the courage to tell them. "Guys, it's not good." He went over to the screen he had previously visited and started explaining. "I isolated a high-pitched frequency, something that only Chase would pick up, and it wasn't an accident. I'm trying to trace the signal now, but so far, no luck."

"Do you have any idea who would do this?" asked Tasha, hugging herself for comfort. Davenport shook his head sadly.

"I have a lot of enemies, Tasha. But if I can find the device that did this, I should be able to narrow it down." Bree pursed her lips.

"Mr. Davenport, you never answered my question: _How is Chase?_" The inventor sighed and closed his eyes, knowing that he couldn't stall any longer.

"Chase is…" He let out a shuddering breath, his shoulders slumped and his heart heavy. "Chase is completely deaf." Everyone gasped and visibly paled. Davenport looked at them with saddened eyes. "…And I don't know if I will be able fix him."

* * *

**Sadly, another chapter comes to an end. *Sighs dramatically* **

**Now, I know a lot of people have stories out there where Chase goes deaf, but I'm hoping this one will be different because of my purpose behind it. **

**Oh! And it's another cliffhanger. Sort of. Please don't hate me... At least, not right now. If you thought this was evil, just wait and see what I have in store for you, my faithful readers. *Cackles maniacally* **

**So long! Till we meet again next Saturday!**


	6. Chapter 5

**I'm baaaaack! Did ya miss me? Kidding. Anyway, here's chapter five. Hehehe, you'll definitely hate me at the end of this chapter. But just to let you know: Kill me, and you won't get chapter six. Or seven. Or eight, nine, ten, etc...**

**As always, I'm so thankful to anyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed my story. Seriously, some of the reviews I got made me all warm and fuzzy inside. You guys rock!**

**On with chapter five!**

* * *

To Adam, it felt like his heart stopped. But then… wouldn't he be dead?

"…What?" Bree asked unbelievingly. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I joke about something as big as this?" Davenport snapped. Bree visibly flinched back, and the inventor regretted sounding so harsh. "The damage done to Chase's ears was severe, and I don't know if I can repair his hearing."

Tasha stepped forward. "But, Donald, you're not a doctor. Maybe, though, you could make a device or something that could heal the damage and then take him to a specialist."

Davenport closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honey, I would, but that kind of device could take months just to plan - not to mention build - and then I'd have to test it somehow, but if it doesn't work, it's back to square one. It could take a year or two, and I don't know how Chase would handle it."

"Yeah, um, about that last part," Leo said hesitantly. "How are we going to break it to Chase when he first wakes up? And you really should think fast, 'cause I think he's waking up - _right now_." Everyone turned to look at the teen lying on the gurney to see him lightly pulling at the restraints, his head tossing slightly as he struggled to consciousness, and the other people in the room held their breath.

* * *

The first thing he noticed when he came to was the silence. Should it be that quiet? And then he discerned that he couldn't move; he tried to pull his legs up, but they would only bend so far before something tugged at his ankles, and he could only do so much with his arms. Why couldn't he move? He lifted his eyelids, but the light of the room hurt his eyes, so he squinted them shut before opening them again, blinking several times to get accustomed to the lighting. But then everything else was fuzzy, yet he could still tell that he was looking at the lab's ceiling. What happened?

A face loomed over his, and as his eyes tried to focus on the sudden closer object, he recognized Davenport's dark hair and concerned features. The adult's brown eyes bore into Chase's hazel, unfocused ones, but then the bionic noticed that the inventor's mouth was moving, speaking words that didn't reach his ears. His heart started to race and his eyes started to fill with panic, something Davenport hadn't wanted to see, but knew it was inevitable.

Donald placed a hand on Chase's chest to try to keep him from struggling too much, to keep him calm, but he soon ended up just trying to push the teen back down.

"Chase- Chase, you need to calm down! Please, just- just calmed down, okay? Chase-"

Davenport was cut off when Chase spoke. "Why can't I hear?" he said, his voice louder than it should've been because he couldn't even hear himself speak. "Mr. Davenport," he pleaded, looking up at his father-figure, lifting his head slightly off of the table as he strained against the restraints. "Why can't I hear?" Davenport visibly winced as Chase's tone bridged on a full blown panic attack. Under his hand, the inventor could feel the teen's heart beating wildly in his chest, faster than it should have been, and the poor kid started to hyperventilate.

Davenport turned to look over his shoulder. "Someone help me hold him down - _now_!" Adam rushed over and used a small amount of his super strength to pin Chase's shoulders to the gurney. Even Adam's usually bright yet confused eyes were solemn with understanding as he watched his baby brother try to fight down the panic and calm down, but the fear of not being able to hear was too strong, and all Adam could do was watch Chase struggle to breathe.

With Adam holding Chase down, Davenport slowly let go of the bionic's shoulders, just in case Adam didn't quite have him, but when he saw that Adam had a firm grip, Donald leaned more over Chase, grasped the teen's head in his hands, and forced Chase to look into his eyes.

"Chase, look at me. I need you to calm down. Just calmed down. It's going to be alright."

Even though Chase couldn't understand what he was saying, the firm calmness in the adult's eyes was enough to help him understand. A part of his logical self squirmed to the surface of his erratic brain, and he tried to calm down, his chest heaving as he took deep breaths, and his heart started to slow down. Davenport gave a relieved smile and nodded as a sign of reassurance.

"Good boy, Chase - that's perfect. Just keep breathing." When Chase lifted his left hand to pull at the cuff pointedly, Donald shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't let you go until you are absolutely calm." Chase leaned his head back on the pillow provided and groaned a little when he saw Davenport's negative reaction, still breathing deeply but not as bad as before and staring up at the ceiling, but when Davenport let go of his head, the teen looked to the side and saw the rest of his family standing worriedly off to the side. When he made eye contact with Bree, his sister gave him a tiny smile, and he gave a half-smile in return because that was all that he could muster at the moment. Leo gave a somber thumbs up, and Tasha smiled a warm, motherly smile that immediately helped calm him down. He suddenly had a thought that made his heart ache: _Who was his real mother?_

Davenport was suddenly leaning over him again, having come back from secretly taking some scans of the youngest bionic, and started to unbuckle Chase once he was certain that the teen was as calm as he was going to be in a situation as this. Adam had let go of Chase's shoulders when Davenport had left, but he stood to the side just in case he was needed again. As soon as his wrists were free, Chase had sat up eagerly, and when his ankles were free, he swung his legs over the side of the gurney, noticing that it was the same one Davenport had used with Leo, unable to lay still any longer. But before anyone could stop him, Chase slid off to stand on the floor, and nearly fell on his face for the second time in less than twenty-four hours; he very likely would have if Davenport hadn't caught him - again.

Chase looked at Davenport with slight smirk. "We really have to stop meeting like this." Davenport chuckled, the sound literally falling on deaf ears, and helped Chase to stand up. "So, anyone care to explain why I can't hear?" No one would meet his gaze, and he crossed his arms in annoyance.

Davenport got a pad of paper and used a sharpie to write on it. _What do you remember?_ was written on it in bold, black letters.

"Well, there was a super sharp noise that nearly split my brain in half and left me deaf. Is that what you're talking about?" Davenport nodded gravely, shrugging off the teen's heavy sarcasm.

_ Chase, I don't know if I can repair your hearing._ The bionic's heart seemed to stop working like Adam's seemed to when he heard the news.

"What?" he gasped, his chest tightening up again, and he forgot how to breathe.

Davenport gripped his shoulders and once again forced the teen to look at him. "Chase, I am going to do all that I can to get your hearing back, I _promise_. But you need to stay with us, kid. You understand? Chase, _breathe_." With a firm shake of his shoulders, which are sure to be bruised by now, from Davenport, Chase took a staggering breath and raised a hand to run through his hair.

"Isn't there anything you can do in the meantime?" he asked worriedly.

Davenport thought for a moment, before writing and saying, "I could download an app into your chip that will allow you to read lips, but I'm afraid that's all I can do right now." Davenport paused before saying, and not writing, "Chase'll have to be taken off missions until he gets his hearing restored… or until he gets used to being deaf." Everyone's faces became downcast except for Adam's, whose face was confused.

He raised his hand before speaking. "Wait… Mr. Davenport, then does that mean I get to be mission leader?" Everyone besides Chase, who had a feeling that what Davenport hadn't written down wasn't good, groaned at Adam's single-mindedness.

Donald hesitated to say what he had to say next, but proceeded anyway. "And that means that Chase will also have to stay home from school." Bree and Leo wanted to argue, but the inventor never gave them a chance. "With Chase unable to hear, I can't risk his bionics glitching because someone walked up to him without him knowing and tapping him on the shoulder. Plus… It also makes him a bigger target for bullying." But by the time Davenport finished speaking, Chase had had enough of being left in the dark.

"Hey!" he complained. "There's still a deaf person over here!"

When the rest of the family turned to look at Chase, Eddy appeared and started talking in his very annoying voice. "Does this mean I can do this? Hey, short fry! Did you know that you're so small that ants could carry you? And-"

"Eddy!" Everyone, besides Chase, of course, snapped simultaneously.

"Just because he can't hear you doesn't mean that we can't," Bree replied, putting her hands on her hips and glaring through her eyelashes at the computerized home system.

"But you're not wrong, though," Adam said to Eddy with a slight grin on his face as he imagined tiny ants picking up his brother and carrying him off. His daydream was interrupted, however, when Leo elbowed him in the ribs. Chase crossed his arms, a sour look on his face.

"Ahem," he said, trying to get the others' attention again.

Davenport looked to Chase again and shook his head to get refocused. "Sorry, Chase." He laid a hand on Chase's shoulder and guided him over to the counter before the bionics' capsules. "Now, if you people would please excuse us," he said to Tasha and the rest of the kids, "I would like to do this next part with Chase, alone, as it would give me a chance to work with him and the lip reading thing."

"Aww, Mr. D., do we have to?" whined Adam. "I want to be the first one to test out the new app." He elbowed Leo softly, grinning. "I totally would have told him what Eddy said." Leo and Bree just glared, tired and annoyed. Davenport frowned.

"No, Adam. I think that now isn't the right time to tell Chase that. Now, up to bed with you all; you're already up way past bedtime and school's tomorrow." The inventor shooed the kids upstairs, Chase remaining behind with an uncertain look on his face, leaning heavily on his right foot, and sticking his hands in his front pockets. Tasha put a hand on Davenport's chest while rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"Everything's going to turn out fine, Donald." Her husband gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Thanks, honey." Davenport turned when Tasha brushed past him to go over to Chase. He watched as she gave him a hug, one that the teen hesitantly returned, melting into the embrace before they pulled apart. As Tasha ran a hand through Chase's hair in a way that only a mother could, no doubt offering as much solace as she could without words, Davenport realized with a pang of his heart that the bionic teens never really did get to know their real mother… Shaking himself, he pulled away from his thoughts just in time to see Tasha pull away from Chase to go upstairs. Davenport came over to Chase and wrote down on the paper.

_ I'm going to upload that app onto your chip now, and when we're done, we're gonna take a while to help you adjust. You ready?_ Davenport looked up after he finished writing and gave the pad to Chase, studying the bionic's expression, and when he was done, Chase looked up at his father, uncertainty reflected in his eyes, but his expression soon hardened into determination.

And he nodded.

* * *

Chase had never been so exhausted as he was when he got up with Bree and Adam for school, but during the whole time during breakfast, Leo and his two siblings kept glancing at him, and he couldn't figure out why. Whenever he asked, they always said the same thing: "Oh, we just wanted to know how you were doing," but he could tell that they were lying, even if he couldn't hear them.

The lip reading app was amazing. He and Davenport had worked until three in the morning just getting used to being deaf (although, truthfully, he'll never be used to the silence) and practicing keeping his bionics and reflexes in check if anyone ever came up unnoticed tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, but he still had a way to go; once Davenport had made sure that Chase could now lip read without a problem, the inventor had sent the youngest bionic to sleep in his bedroom upstairs since everyone else was up there. It was weird - sleeping in a bed for longer than a catnap, that is.

But now, as Chase went downstairs to get his bag for school, he couldn't help but think back to the night when Davenport was talking to the others with a grave look on his face, not bothering to write down what he was saying. Had the inventor said something to them that he was too scared to tell him? His thoughts were confirmed when he was stopped by Davenport in the living room.

Adam, Bree, and Leo had just left out the front door, school bags slung over their shoulders, and Chase was about to follow after them when Davenport stepped in his way, hands held up in yielding gesture. "I'm sorry, Chase," he said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I can't let you go to school today."

"What? Why can't I?"

"You know exactly why, Chase."

The bionic's mouth gaped, his hurt and bewildered expression open for the adult to see. "But- I… I thought it would be okay since I did pretty good last night."

"Chase, it's still too risky to send you to school or on missions. We'll keep training until I'm convinced that you won't glitch every time you get surprised, but for now, you're to stay here. Tasha and I are going to drop off Adam, Bree, and Leo at school, and then I'm going to drive Tasha to work before I have to go to a meeting with several buyers that are interested in some of my inventions. _Stay put_ until we get home," Davenport warned, backing up slowly, keeping his eyes on Chase, when he suddenly tripped on the corner of the couch. Chase watched with unamused eyes as Davenport waved his arms to keep his balance, and when he did he paused before giving a single nod and continuing his suspicious backwards walk out the door.

When it clicked shut, Chase sighed and tossed his messenger bag on the couch before trudging down to the lab. He tiredly plopped down into Davenport's computer chair and started to spin in a bored fashion. Tiring of spinning, Chase got up three minutes later and started fiddling with some of Mr. Davenport's new toys. After almost burning his hair off, Chase finally put down the machine he was playing with, and it was only then that he noticed one of the screens in the counters was flashing green.

Curious, the teen leaned over to get a better look. _Signal trace: Complete_. Davenport had filled him in on what he knew - that a device was used to target the bionic's hearing, and he was trying to pinpoint where signal came from. The place of origin was revealed right there on that screen, and Chase tilted his head as he weighed his options. Davenport was gone, having probably dropped off his siblings and Tasha by now. Chase supposed he could call up Bree and ask for Adam's and her help, but he decided that this was a perfect opportunity to prove himself to his family. Smirking, Chase hurried to get suited up.

* * *

The device's signal came from an abandoned warehouse near the edge of Mission Creek. Chase stood before the looming structure, one of Davenport's fancy sport cars sitting motionless behind him (honestly, it wasn't hard to hijack the car and drive it with his super smarts). Swallowing, the teen pushed down his nervousness and steeled himself for what ever was to come; as soon as he entered, he could immediately tell something was off.

The device was sitting in plain sight on a simple folding table with a spotlight shining down on it, and the abandoned warehouse lived up to its name. The entire building, as big as two football fields, was _absolutely empty_ except for the table and its decoration.

Chase slowly walked forward, turning in circles, stepping silently and crossing his legs before twisting around, almost like a sort of dance, like Davenport instructed - keeping aware of your surroundings. The silence in his head made his heart ache painfully, and he realized just how dependent he was on his hearing, but then he reached the table and the device sitting upon it and all previous thoughts were dispelled so that he could focus on the object.

Several buttons and knobs adorned the mechanism shaped like a tiny tower. There was a single screen sort of like on alarm clocks, but Chase guessed that the screen was for displaying the stats of the appliance.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and Chase froze, his heart pounding, and his eyes slowly pulled themselves away from the device to look up at the exit, but he doubted he could make a break for it without knowing who was behind him. So, the only logical thing to do next was to turn, ever so carefully, around and face the threat, and he wasn't surprised when he saw four men clad in black, leather suits, their faces concealed by ninja-like masks. Immediately, Chase fell into a defensive position, bringing his hands up to his face while spreading his feet apart and bending his knees. The ninjas copied him, and for a full minute no one moved, but when the minute was up, the ninjas raced forward with cries of aggression, and Chase braced himself.

* * *

Normally, Bree wasn't afraid to speak up, to speak what was on her mind, but ever since the night before, nothing had been _normal_, and so when Chase came upstairs from the lab that morning, fully expecting to be able to go to school like the rest of them, she couldn't find the heart to tell him that he couldn't go. And judging by the way neither Adam nor Leo had spoken up, she could tell they felt the same way, so they sat in silence, glancing at the youngest bionic in concern, but Chase eventually figured out that something was up (stupid genius mind of his, but then again, it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell something was wrong). When he asked them about it, they lied through their teeth, but none of them, even the silver-tongued Leo, sounded very convincing - last night had knocked them off their rockers, and they had yet to climb back on.

When the three teens got to school, they vowed to find those two bullies and teach them a lesson, but when they searched the school, Slim Girl and Steroid Boy were nowhere to be found, including Leo's new "senior friends". If that didn't put her on edge, then Bree didn't know what would. Throughout her first period class, she could barely concentrate on her work, worry for her brother and unease at the missing students made her stomach churn, so she finally took out her phone between first period and second, and she tried calling home, but Chase didn't answer.

_ "You have reached the extremely handsome and awesome Donald Davenport, billionaire inventor and secret superhero in disguise. I can't answer you right now because either (A_-_ I'm too awesome, (B_-_ I'm inventing something extremely cool, (C_-_ I don't like you, or (D_-_ I'm out saving the world with my amazing powers. So, leave a message at the beep. BEEEEEEEEEP!"_

Bree rolled her eyes at the recording but spoke anyway. "Hey, Chase, it's me-" she broke off, eyes wide at her mistake. Her brother wouldn't be able to hear the phone, much less the answering machine, so she hung up, put her phone away, and super-speeded home, but when she combed through the entire house, her little brother was nowhere to be found. Stopping in the lab, she put her hands on her hips and bit her lip, trying to think where Chase would go, but Davenport had told them that he had left Chase with specific instructions _not_ to leave the house.

Chase could be an annoying little brother, a terrible secret-keeper, and a snitch, but he almost never disobeyed Davenport of his own will, and Bree and Adam had to corner him into disobeying the rules. Yet lately, ever since Davenport allowed them to leave the lab, Bree noticed that Chase was developing his own will and growing out of the nïave teenager stage into the rebellious, cunning stage. She wouldn't put it past Chase for him to leave the house just to prove that he _could_ and still be okay, but then that worried feeling came crashing back and she glanced around the lab until her eyes fell on a certain screen in the counter and her mouth fell open in shock.

_ No…_ she gasped in her head. _He wouldn't…_

But a tiny little voice inside her head whispered back, _He would. And he did._

Bree made a choking sound before speeding off to school to get Adam and Leo. She briefly considered getting Mr. Davenport, but she dismissed the idea since it would take far too long, and who knows what trouble Chase had gotten himself into now.

By the time she got to Mission Creek High, her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and the bell signaling the start for second period just rang as she sped through the double doors and into the school. Not wasting time, she grabbed Adam from his class first without explaining and then swiped Leo away from a girl he was hanging out with in the hall. She ignored Leo's cries of protest and Adam's whoops of excitement and headed back for Davenport's house. Only when she was in the lab did Bree stop running and set Adam and Leo down.

"What was that for?" Leo asked indignantly, shouldering his backpack. "Wendy finally decided that I'm actually worth her time."

"Yeah," Adam said, grinning. "I was just about to learn how to solve puzzles with numbers and letters."

"So, Bree," Leo asked suspiciously. "What's so important that you kidnapped us?" Adam interrupted before Bree could answer.

"Hey, where's Chase?" As Leo looked around, finally noticing that the youngest bionic wasn't there, Bree threw her hands out and finally spoke.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, but you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise!" She let her arms fall limp to her sides and stared at her brothers seriously. "I think… I think Chase might be in trouble…"

"What?" Leo exclaimed. "Where is he?" Bree moved around to the counter where the screen was still blinking.

"Remember when Davenport said that he was trying to trace the signal of the machine that hurt Chase?" When Adam and Leo nodded, Bree continued. "Well, I came home quick just to check on Chase, but when I got here, he wasn't anywhere in the house. Then I saw this-" she waved her hand at the screen and Leo and Adam came to stand behind her to look over her shoulder "-and I immediately knew where he went."

"It says… Hitman's Road," read Adam. "Wait, does that mean that a hit man lives on that road?"

"No, Adam. They probably just named the road after some weird guy," corrected Leo. "So, what do we do?" he asked Bree.

"I suggest we go there and back up Chase," she said quietly. That little voice was back, and it verbalized unhelpfully, _If it's not too late._ But then she shook herself, angry that the thought even popped into her head.

"Shouldn't we get Mr. Davenport?" Adam questioned.

Bree frowned and shook her head. "No. We're wasting time as it is just standing here and talking. If we got Davenport, he'd probably make us wait until we had a plan."

"But we don't," stated Adam, who had his brow furrowed in confusion.

Bree shook her head. "Yes, we do." She glanced at each of her brothers before saying, "We're going to save Chase."

* * *

When they got to the warehouse, they first noticed one of Davenport's cars parked out front, which confirmed their suspicions.

Leo, who had demanded to come along and was dressed in an XXXS mission suit, said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the car, "We should probably take that back when we're done." Bree and Adam nodded in agreement before they led the way into the building. Leo ran into Adam, who had stopped abruptly just inside the doorway, as did Bree. Pushing between the two, Leo squirmed to see what had caught their attention but froze when he did.

The enormous warehouse was bare, not even a piece of garbage remained - except for the table in the middle of the structure with a note on it, of course. Surprisingly, Adam was the first one to reach the table, and he unfolded the paper, scanning the words. By the time Leo and Bree reached him, Adam had already finished reading the note. His face was downcast, and he looked at his siblings, minus one, with uncharacteristically mature eyes.

"Guys, I think Chase is in some serious doo doo."

* * *

**MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! Hate me all you want; it won't change the fact that I'm not sorry for leaving you on yet _another_ cliffhanger. Hehehe. As always, please let me know what you think. I love feedback!**


	7. Chapter 6

**I really don't have much to say, so here's a very short chapter six.**

* * *

_To Donald Davenport and his family:_

_ From recent events, you've probably come to the conclusion that there's more going on here than meets the eye. _

_ The previous night, the attack on your precious bionic was obvious. And if you're reading this, it means that you've traced the signal of the sonic pitch emitter, one of my smaller, but effective machines. However, if you_ are _reading this, it also means that I now have Chase Davenport in my possession. _

_ Oh! How easy it was to arrange for some buyers to keep the infamous _Mr. Donald Davenport_ busy and a top story to distract the new wife, Tasha _-_ lovely name, by the way. You'd think that leaving a poor, young, not to mention recently deaf, boy alone would be careless, especially with some sort of psychopath targeting him, but look how simple was. Goes to show how much you value family, eh, Donald? Remember that incident fourteen years ago? Of course you do, but do your "children" know? Think about it, Duck, because, like a smart person once said, "The dominoes are falling, and there's nothing you can do to stop it." _

_ Now, there are several things I wish to address in this letter, but they can wait for later. I will say this: I focused on Chase for a reason _-_ he was your favorite, right, Donald? I can imagine why _-_ you should have seen him fight the men I sent to take him, Donald; you would have been so proud. And he was the center of the family, the youngest for fifteen years before the clumsy brat moved in, so, of course there would be plenty of emotional ties centered around him. Simply take away the foundation and the whole house falls apart. Chase was, indeed, that foundation, whether you realized it or not._

_ Tell me, Donald, how does it feel to be so powerless? I've erased all traces of me in this building and on this note. Not even the craftiest toys you create could find me, Duck, cause I have _far_ more awesome machines than you. So, how does it feel to know that a loved one is out there, scared and alone, and there isn't a _single thing_ you can do about it? _

_ I may sound cruel, which you know I can be, but I promise you: I, along with my men, will not hurt a single hair on Chase's head _-_ you have my word. The boy is currently sleeping peacefully in his new living quarters, unaware of the terrible time ahead. He looks so innocent when he's asleep, doesn't he, Donald? Still such a child at heart. Too bad that he's going to have to grow up soon. Despite all that you've taught them, Davenport, you never showed them the harsh realities of the world. _

_ By now, you've probably figured out who I am, Davenport. You know what I'm capable of. My two helpers have vowed to break your precious golden boy in a month, and I have granted them this request. But you have my word that you will get him back, just… not all of him._

_ My plan will become clear soon enough, Davenport family, and there's nothing you can do to surprise me. Davenport, you brought this upon yourself fourteen years ago. If there's anyone to blame, it's you._

_ Remember, a month from now, Chase will be safely returned to you at this very same warehouse at exactly 12:00 P.M. _

_ Sincerely,_

* * *

**So, how was that? Oh, and please enjoy the two-week wait. *Evil laughter* Why? 'Cause I can. **


	8. Chapter 7

**Did y'all enjoy your two weeks of waiting? Probably not, but I sure did. Jk. Actually, it's a good thing I did two weeks because last Friday-Saturday I was helping out at a camp retreat and by the time I got home, I did _not_ want to do anything - I was so tired. **

**Thanks, everyone, for all your reviews. I'm sorry that I don't reply personally to them, but I'm hoping to get better at that. Also, thanks to people who favorited, followed, or just simply read my story. You guys rock and it never ceases to amaze me at how many people are actually reading my story. **

**Anyway, here's chapter seven.**

* * *

What did you see out there, my lad,

That has set that look in your eyes?

You went out a boy, you have come back a man,

With strange new depths underneath your tan.

What was it you saw out there, my lad,

That set such deeps in your eyes?

-John Oxenham, _Face To Face With Reality_

* * *

_Exactly one month later…_

They hadn't realized how much they needed him until he was no longer there, lost somewhere out in the big world and nothing they did got them any closer to finding him. The children asked and asked and _asked_ about the incident fourteen years ago, who the psychopath was, and how he knew them, but their creator, their father, clammed up so tight that everything they probed simply bounced off of his shell.

The month felt like a year, every second ticking by ever so slowly. The first week of his absence had them frantically going over every piece of data they had, every single thing they knew, but none of it did any good. During the second week, they drifted apart, one by one, finding refuge in their separate ways, each suffering in silence, the place in their hearts that he had occupied now ached painfully in their chests. But as the third week came, hope started to bubble in their stomachs like burning acid, and before they knew it, they were a family once more when the day arrived - the day they would get him, their foundation, back.

Adam, Bree, and Davenport were dressed in their mission suits, and they said nothing as they checked their gear, the last minute preparations. Going upstairs, where Tasha and Leo waited for them, they said quiet good-byes with small hugs. Tasha grabbed her husband's arm before he could walk away, and she said firmly, "Bring him back, Donald. Whatever it takes." The inventor's dark eyes were solemn, but he nodded with an empty smile before following Bree and Adam out the door. Tasha wrapped an arm around Leo's shoulders, holding him close as they were left standing in the empty house.

* * *

The whole car ride to the warehouse was spent in silence, and it seemed to stretch on for eternity. Their hearts pounded, and even Adam was rendered mute. When they reached the building, arriving at exactly 11:59 A.M., they shared nervous looks before walking to the entrance.

Bree's hand shook violently as she reached out to grab the doorknob, but the sweat on her palms made it impossible to turn it, even with both hands, and her lip quivered at her weakness. Adam took her wrists with gentleness achieved only by a brother to a sister, and squeezed them reassuringly. Bree sniffed, a stray tear slipping down her face as she stared at their hands, unable to face Adam's concerned and understanding face, but she nodded slightly, a sign to show that she was ready. Adam let go of her hands and opened the door; Davenport went in first, followed by Bree, and lastly Adam.

The warehouse was pitch black inside, but as soon as the door closed behind them, the lights overhead switched on row by row, gradually lighting up the building. As the building lit up section by section, their hearts sank when Chase was nowhere to be found, but when the last row of lights lit up, they revealed a person leaning against the far wall. Davenport glanced at his watch.

12:00 P.M.

Looking back again, the inventor tried to make out the features of the person, his heart beating wildly in his chest. _Could it be Chase?_ It had to be, but the figure wore black clothes that had allowed him to blend in while the lights had flickered on; however, if it was Chase, Davenport thought he would be so relieved to see them as they were to see him.

"Hey!" he called out to the mysterious person, his voice echoing around the structure. "Who are you?" The three waited anxiously, and after a few tense seconds, the figure stirred and looked up. They couldn't see his face, but something inside of Bree resounded like a drum, and she knew in her heart that it was her baby brother standing on the other side of the building. She raced away from the others, traveling across the vast distance in nanoseconds, stopping only when she got within ten feet of Chase, and when she did, she raised a hand to her mouth in immense joy.

"Chase!" she gasped, her chest contracting painfully and a lump forming in her throat as tears spilled down her face. "Oh, Chase!" She ran (normal style), Chase closing the distance, and she leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could and tucking her face into the crook of his neck. Chase copied, holding her close and burying his face in her hair, and breathed in the scent of his sister - strawberries. "_I've missed you so much!_" she sobbed into his shirt, squeezing harder.

Chase's shoulders shook violently as he silently cried into Bree's hair, finally feeling loved and needed, and he craved the feeling of security that his older sister gave him. The days of psychological torture, dark and forlorn, threatened to surface in his mind, but he squeezed his eyes shut and held Bree tighter, fighting the unwanted memories. Bree, of course, noticed this and finally, reluctantly pulled away and took a good look at her younger brother, and the color drained from her face from what she saw.

His eyes were shadowed with dark rings under his eyes from the lack of either sleep or stress, she couldn't tell. Chase's expression looked haunted, and his eyes were wary and guarded, as if he was preparing for some sort of negative reaction. His features, normally lean, were gaunt with hollowed-out cheek bones, and the clothes he was wearing were a size too big. And the last visible change affected by his capture was his hair, normally healthy and rich in color but now dull and lifeless. But there was something else… Something was missing.

Chase squirmed under her stare, his sullen eyes flicking away to avoid her gaze, and it finally clicked for Bree. With growing horror, she realized that her brother's spirit was broken, and she noticed the light that was normally in his eyes was gone, suffocated, but she had to hope that there was still a tiny flame hidden deep in his heart, a small, burning ember locked away from the world struggling to put it out.

She reached out a hand to touch his face, but stopping short as she struggled for words. "_Chase…_ What did they do to you?" She was so surprised when his expression hardened instantly, she could practically see the walls slamming into place, and she visibly winced, pulling her hand back.

"Nothing," he spat, an obvious lie. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm _fine_." Bree took a step back in shock, and as she did, she saw remorse flash briefly in his eyes. But that did not disguise the fact that his behavior was so _not him_.

"How can you say that?" she gasped, anger suddenly flaring that he couldn't even confide in his sister. "We were worried _sick_ about you. We searched as hard as we could to find you-"

"Yet, you didn't find me," he muttered bitterly.

"-but there was nothing to go on! We went over everything we had _ten freaking times_! So how can you say that I don't need to worry about you? Don't I, your _sister_, deserve to know what happened to my baby brother?" Chase ducked his head away, but she carried on, all her frustration collected over the past three weeks finally finding an outlet, but she was too wrapped up to notice that Chase was at the receiving end when he had already been through enough. "I wondered every night and day if my brother was alright, what was happening to him right now, what was he thinking when we didn't come to his aid the first few days, and then the first week, the second. Did he even have any hope left by the third week? All of those unanswered questions tore me - all of us - apart. Do you even know what it was like without you? So, how can you just push us away when we deserve some _answers_?" She paused in her rant, finally spotting the pent-up anger flaring up in Chase's eyes, and she knew immediately that she shouldn't have said what she did. Neither of them had noticed that Adam and Mr. Davenport had caught up, winded, and stunned by Bree's outburst to even announced their presence or greet Chase.

"You," Chase seethed out between clenched teeth, his gaze uncharacteristically murderous, "have _no_ idea what it was like-"

Bree cut him off, her voice pleading. "Then tell us! Why won't you tell us?!"

"Because!" Chase shouted, fed up with all of the questions that threatened to bring the last month to mind. Everyone else's eyes widened in disbelief. "Because, everything that I went through… I couldn't pass that burden to you. It's not yours to carry."

Bree's eyes flashed dangerously, opening her mouth to retort, but Davenport stepped in, blocking their view of each other. "Enough," he sternly, first turning to glare at Bree, then facing Chase, but his eyes softened almost immediately when they landed on his youngest bionic son. He reached out and grasped Chase's shoulders; Chase looked up, his eyes flickering between blankness and faint happiness, and the two stared at each other before Donald pulled his son into the biggest hug he had ever given. Davenport felt Chase's arms wrap around him, and the inventor fisted his hands into Chase's shirt, relieved to actually have his son back.

But something kept pushing at the back of his mind. _But you have my word that you will get him back, just… not all of him._ That's what the letter had said, and it promised not to hurt Chase, but, while it was true and nothing seemed physically wrong with Chase except for the fact that he was a little bony (which Donald did frown at), there was something different, something wrong. When Davenport closed his eyes and thought back to when he stared at the bionic, he came to the very same conclusion as Bree. His heart boiled with rage, and he held Chase closer, unwilling to let go.

"_I'm so sorry, Chase_," he whispered. He felt Chase stiffen, and pulled away in concern.

Chase's eyes betrayed nothing when he said, "It's okay, Mr. Davenport. I get it." But his voice wavered slightly, not gone unnoticed by his father, but Davenport couldn't tell what emotion caused it. And then realization dawned on Donald's face.

"Chase," he exhaled. "You can hear." Bree's mouth dropped, only then apprehending that she had been in a two-sided argument with her brother just two minutes before. And Adam just smiled because he was speechless, which was highly unusual. Yet, Chase's face darkened fleetingly before his mask slipped back into place, nodding.

Davenport smiled, genuinely thrilled beyond compare, and paused, studying his son like a father would, before saying, "Well, I think it's time we got you home. There's people who can't wait to see you." Adam wrapped an arm around Chase's shoulders, pulling him close much like he did that peaceful night when they left the restaurant, but it felt like a lifetime ago after all that's happened.

"It's good to have you back, little bro," Adam declared. And the faintest, _faintest_ smile graced Chase's lips.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

Tasha stood up from her sitting position on the couch and Leo stopped his pacing when they heard Davenport's car pull into the driveway. Leo went to his mom and they stood together, facing the door while they held their breaths. The seconds stretched on, but finally they saw the front door's handle turn and the door was pushed open. Bree came in first, her expression grim, and she was followed by Adam who wore a blank look. Davenport came in last, and when Tasha saw him, she felt her heart beat wildly at his solemn look.

"Donald?" she gasped, feeling dread settle in her stomach, but then the three arrivals' faces broke into wide smiles unlike anything she'd ever seen in the past month, and then Chase walked in, a small grin on his face. She was pretty sure her shriek of joy could have been heard throughout the whole house, but she didn't care as she ran to Chase and wrapped him in the biggest hug she had ever given any of the bionics. Chase returned the hug wholeheartedly, and she laughed as tears fell from her eyes, and she looked to the ceiling mouthing "thank you" over and over.

Leo came over, about to say something to Chase when he saw how hard his mother was squeezing. "Geez, Mom. Squeeze a little harder and see if he'll pop." Tasha pulled away, wiping at the water on her face while apologizing breathlessly, still so elated. Leo and Chase made eye contact and the former grinned, giving a small wave. "Hey, Chase." Chase took the steps needed to close the gap between him and Leo before hugging Leo, too.

"Hi, Leo," he greeted back. Tasha's gasp could be heard as Leo pulled back in surprise. "You can hear us?"

Chase smirked, but the humor didn't show in his eyes. "Yup. One hundred percent restored. You know, it's actually reassuring to hear your squeaky, little voice." Leo smiled.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed, but then the rest of Chase's words registered and his excitement was replaced with indignation. "Hey!" The others giggled, but then Tasha spoke up next, drawing the attention away from the two youngest teens.

"Man, it's so good to have you back and then your hearing is back and you're not hurt and- and it's all… so overwhelming." Tasha sat down heavily on the couch, Davenport rushing to her aide. Chase was watching his parents, shadowed eyes unaware of the bright ones trained on him. Leo took notice of Chase's weight loss and frowned slightly before coming up with an idea.

"Chase." The youngest bionic turned to Leo with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want to grab something to eat?" Chase shook his head.

"No thanks, Leo. I just want to take a shower." Leo hid his surprise, thinking that the teen must be starving, but he just shrugged.

"Okay, man. We'll be right here." He didn't know why he said that, because words like that were never his strong point, but they came instinctively and he didn't regret saying them. Chase nodded and brushed past Bree and Adam to head upstairs. Chase walked through the hall with nostalgia, seeing the familiar places, and when he came to his room, he paused in the doorway as his empty eyes traveled over the surroundings. He ached with homesickness, which was stupid now that he was home, but he supposed that he wasn't just longing for home, but also the happy memories and times that came with it. With sudden urgency, he crossed the room to his dresser where he pulled out a flannel shirt, a regular shirt, and a pair of jeans before dashing out and into the bathroom; he shut the door, locking it before he leaned his back against it and sliding down till he sat on the floor where he was _finally_ allowed to cry without having insults thrown at him. He clamped a hand over his mouth the stop the whines that threatened to escape. He couldn't believe that the nightmare was over, at long last. Before he could stop himself, memories from the month of his captivity flashed through his mind, and he gasped, jerking his head and closing his eyes tight as if they had caused physical pain, which they kind of did because his subconscious had been working very hard to repress that dark time.

Chase grabbed his head as the memories burned behind his eyelids. He leaned his head back until it rested on the door, and he cried while he suffered alone, his family so close yet something held him back from calling out to them. So instead, he got up and started the shower, the first one in a month, but he didn't even look or smell dirty, surprisingly. The teen guessed bitterly that the guy who kidnapped him had slipped something into his drink or food that prevented his body from creating foul odors, the guy being a billionaire inventor, like Chase's own father, and all.

Half an hour later, Chase got out of the shower, feeling clean and comfortable after he changed into his regular clothes: jeans, t-shirt, an unbuttoned, plaid shirt over the tee, and his worn sneakers. Chase bundled the dark clothes he had been forced to wear and tossed them into the garbage with disgust. He stood in the hallway with a straight back as he soaked in the feeling of being home; his shoulders heaved as he took a deep breath, and then they sagged when the air in his lungs left in a rush. While being reunited with his family helped to lighten a small percentage of the burden on his heart, it still felt heavy and oppressed, probably an expected feeling for one who hid their heart and trapped their feelings behind a fortress wall. Chase's head turned in the direction of the stairs where he could here the voices of his family traveling from the living room.

A small smile graced his lips, but it faded soon after. However, he did head back downstairs to join his family, and as he descended the steps he saw that everyone's eyes were on him. Reaching the bottom, he came to stand between Adam and Mr. Davenport. As the others continued to stare at him, he shifted nervously. "So… Did Leo blow up anything while I was gone?" Tasha, Adam, Bree, and Davenport burst into laughter while Leo crossed his arms indignantly.

"Hey!"

Mr. Davenport brought Chase close with an arm wrapped around the young bionic's shoulders.

Tasha clasped her hands under her chin as she stared at Chase. "It's _so_ good to have you back, Chase." The teen shrugged, half smiling.

"The feeling's mutual," he said.

Bree smiled, but she made another assessment of her brother. He looked so grown up, but not the good kind - this maturity was caused by knowledge of things that are usually ignored so spirits can live light. She was determined to find out what exactly happened to Chase, but she knew that right now was not the time to push. But when the time is right, she _will_ push, and she'll push _hard_.

* * *

Bree, Leo, Adam, and Tasha were upstairs doing their own things while Chase and Davenport went down to the lab because the inventor wanted to make a full evaluation of the bionic.

"Stand up straight, Chase," Davenport instructed as he held a new invention of his: a portable x-ray machine (one that not only does bones but muscles, too!) that instantly scans the person head to toe, and shows the results on the screen between the handles, along with several other stats like the health of the person being scanned. Overall, this machine could really help advances in the medical field.

Chase was muttering under his breath but he complied anyway, and Davenport pressed a button that activated the scanner. On the screen, Davenport saw Chase's bones being revealed as the beam traveled down his body. When the scan was complete, the adult studied the results.

_ Bone integrity: 100%_

Davenport pressed another button and the scan started again, showing the muscles.

_ Muscle integrity: 90%_

_ Warning: Malnourishment detected; procedural steps required_

Davenport frowned, but that was nothing new. He knew just from looking at Chase that his captors had underfed him. As long as he wasn't hurt physically, Davenport was happy. But it was the teen's mental health that he was worried about, and how that will affect his performance on missions or his ability to keep his glitches and bionics in check.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Davenport put aside the x-ray and said, "Okay, Chase. Go ahead and sit on the counter. Chase followed as instructed and sat hunched with his hands gripping the edge and his feet dangling in air. As his father rummaged around his lab for something, Chase watched with mild curiosity.

"Mr. Davenport, what are you looking for?" he asked with impatience lacing his tone.

The inventor exclaimed "Ha!" before whirling around with something clutched in his hand. "This!" he said, pointing to the object. While it was very futuristic, Chase identified it as an otoscope which is used for visual examination of the eardrum and the passage of the outer ear.

Chase eyed it warily. "Why do you need that?"

Donald explained as he walked forward. "Chase, the fact that you can hear again is nothing short of a miracle. I just have to see for myself." The teen frowned but he wasn't given a chance to say no since Davenport had already gently stuck the otoscope in his right ear. "Incredible," he breathed after a few seconds before he quickly moved to the other side, obviously finding the same results.

Stepping back, Davenport's eyes were wide with fascination. "You're eardrums are completely restored, along with the rest of the damaged tissue. I mean, the technology needed for a procedure that risky would take _years_ to come up with, and even then it would only be a prototype."

Chase's expression soured. "Well, I'm glad that you are so overjoyed with the work of my _kidnapper_. Maybe you two should get together and plan ways to destroy things just to fix them." Chase slid off the counter and pushed past the adult as Davenport struggled to find words to say. Chase had gotten halfway across the lab when Davenport's call stopped him.

"Chase, wait!" The teen didn't turn around, but he twisted his head to look over his shoulder out of the corner of his eye. His hands fisted at his sides and he stood stiffly, waiting.

"Chase, I'm so sorry. I should've re- I should've been more considerate. I can't imagine what you went through, but now's a perfect time than ever to help me understand." Davenport waited, but just when he thought Chase wasn't going to reply, the bionic spoke, yet he avoided the question.

Davenport was _not_ anticipating the words that came out of Chase's mouth.

"At one point - I don't even know when - he slipped up and mentioned something about my mom," he said in a quiet voice, unaware that the famous, billionaire inventor had paled like a ghost behind him. "And he said…" Chase faced Davenport, his normally bright, hazel eyes now hardened and cold. "And he said that it was _all your fault_."

Davenport felt the air escape him, and he was suddenly lightheaded. He sat down heavily in the stools by the island counter. Too many thoughts and fears raced through his brain.

_ Does he know? _

_ How much does he know? _

_ Why is this happening?_

"What did he mean by that, Mr. Davenport?" Chase asked accusingly, and as the inventor looked up at the youngest bionic, he was shocked at how much he looked like _him_, the only man he hated with all of his being.

"Chase, I-" he struggled for air as his world fell apart around him. And then a memory surfaced, one he had tried so hard to keep buried, but was so difficult when part of that memory lived on in the boy standing before him.

Wavy, brown locks of hair. Forgiving, hazel eyes that shown with mirth. A blinding smile that could light up the darkest room. And a laugh so bubbly that it was contagious. A sweet aroma that wrapped around her slender frame. Tan fingers strummed a guitar flawlessly, creating a wonderful sound that blended with the voice of an angel's.

Davenport pressed a hand to his eyes, squeezing his lids shut as he tried to force the image away, emotions that he had locked away for so long struggling to come to light. He knew he couldn't tell the truth, not now. He was desperate to keep his life-altering secret from his children for as long as he could. So he decided to twist it until it fit his purpose.

"Chase, do you know the name of the man who kidnapped you?" When the teen shook his head suspiciously, he continued. "His name is Harrison Garvy." Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself before he plowed on with his story. "Harry and I were the best of friends back in the day. We did everything together: played games, studied, almost blew up houses with highly explosive experiments. For our entire lives up until high school we were tight, just like… brothers. But then your mother moved into town and came to our school."

Davenport paused with a dreamy expression on his face. "She was the prettiest girl on campus, and yet she was so humble, helping everyone with a smile on her face.

"Both Harrison and I had crushes on her, so you can see how that would become a problem. One day, she dropped her books all over the floor, but no one would help her pick them up, so I went over and collected them for her. She was grateful, and I walked her to her class. When we reached her destination, we chatted for, like, _two minutes_, but during that time, Harrison was stalking the halls for some unknown reason and he spotted us. He took our meeting the wrong way because, in his mind, he had called dibs. And that's where our rivalry began.

"Fast forward through high school, and your mother and I grew closer while Harry and I grew farther apart. Every chance he got, he made our lives miserable while at the same time trying to get her attention, but it was useless.

"Fast forward through life, and your mother and I are getting married. By now, Harry's hatred for me has consumed his heart and his creepy love for her has taken over his life. Before we knew it, Adam was born. Then Bree. Then you and-" Davenport froze, hoping his sudden slip up wasn't that noticeable. "But when you were born, there were… some complications with the procedure. Your birth was much more problematic than the first two, and the doctors couldn't figure out why. Your mom grew so weak that the doctors knew she wasn't going to last long." Davenport's face sobered greatly as he glanced at Chance who wore a frown, his own expression forlorn.

"She lived long enough to hold you and name you." For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence. Then Donald spoke again with a sigh. "When Harrison found out, he was enraged. He blamed me for her death, and he vowed revenge. At the time, I wasn't in my right mind, so I came up with this brilliant plan to hide you three in my basement, afraid that he would just walk in and snatch you guys away. Just before your mother died, I had discovered a way to advance humans with abilities by putting a special chip in their neck.

"Her death had affected me so much, Chase, so you have to understand that I when I gave you three your chips, all I could think about was making sure that one day you could save the world from men like Harrison: hate-filled and crazy. Because that's what your mom would have wanted. She would have wanted you three to be all that you could be, but my only mistake was keeping you guys locked down here, in this basement. She definitely wouldn't have wanted that, but I was so scared that Harry would take you away."

Davenport locked his eyes with Chase's as he said, "Harrison's back for his revenge, but we can't let that stop us. We have to be brave."

Chase let out a frustrated sigh and he turned away, anger bubbling up. "Mr. Davenport, how can I brave when-" The bionic was interrupted when red lights flashed and alarms blared throughout the lab. He looked around at the different screens that suddenly came to life. "What's going on?" he asked just as Bree, Adam, and Leo came running into the lab.

"This is insane!" the inventor shrieked as he darted to different screens, barely taking a glance before moving on to the next.

"What's insane?" Adam asked.

"There's an overload of illegal activity and malfunctioning machines that can destroy half of the planet or worse."

Leo looked utterly confused and disgusted. "Seriously, how many scientist could possibly be dumb enough to create unstable inventions?"

"Hey!" Davenport exclaimed. "Some of my inventions were unstable." At the teens' disapproving looks, he added, "Fine, most of them."

Leo crossed his arms and said, "I rest my case." Davenport scowled while the others smirked.

"Anyways, there's too many important missions to send you three together on each assignment. I'll have to split you up and give each of you lists of missions." While Davenport got to work, frantically scurrying around the lab, the three bionics got changed into their mission suits. As Chase pulled on his last glove, fully dressed in his suit, he realized just how _familiar_ it all was - as if he'd never been gone - but yet, it felt strange - to actually be back among his family, going on missions. He checked his gear again, and then followed Bree and Adam back out to the lab.

Davenport was waiting for them, with three pieces of paper in his hand. "I've written down the addresses you need to go to, and here are your comms. so I can talk you through it." The teens put the communication devices in their ears as they studied the lists Davenport gave to each of them. "You three will have to take my self-driving cars. Just type in the addresses." Bree looked up.

"But, Mr. Davenport, I don't need to take a car. With my super-speed, I can get to places far faster than any car." Davenport nodded.

"Go ahead, Bree. And I would suggest leaving now to get a head start." Bree gave a grim salute before disappearing in a flash. Davenport turned to Adam and Chase. "And you boys be careful. I'm not sure what to expect. I'll be watching your progress through the different camera feeds so I'll be able to help if needed." The adult took a deep breath as he placed his hands on his hips. "Get going." Adam and Chase nodded before leaving, but Davenport called Chase's name, causing to teen to stop while Adam left to get a car.

Chase turned around at Davenport's voice, and he was startled when Davenport walked over and enveloped the bionic in a giant bear hug. It took a few seconds, but eventually Chase wrapped his arms around his father and returned the hug.

"Be careful, Chase," the inventor whispered before pulling back. He noticed the hard look in Chase's eyes and his own filled with worry.

"I will," the teen promised before turning and vanishing out the door.

Leo came to stand next to the dark-haired man. "Everything will be okay, Big D. They'll make it."

Davenport just looked on with sad eyes because he wasn't so sure.

* * *

Everyone has their crowning moment - that time where they finally get to prove themselves to the world, like when the hero fights the villain in the ultimate battle, saving the lives of millions. But moments like that usually come with great sacrifices; the hero must sacrifice the few to save the many, or sometimes, even his life.

Chase was positive that this was probably one of those crowning moments, but he felt that it was all sacrifices instead of rewards.

"I've reached the first place, Mr. Davenport," he whispered.

"_Good. Proceed with caution._"

Leo's voice crackled in his ear. "_This place has some serious security. There's, like, guards at every door._"

"So what, exactly, is wrong here," Chase asked, scanning the building. Red lights flashed throughout the brick complex, and from his hiding place in the bushes across the parking lot, Chase could see through the windows that people in white coats were running around frantically, and others were spilling out of the front doors, screaming. Davenport responded.

_ "GHC was experimenting in nuclear energy, and one of their reactors somehow malfunctioned. If it blows, it'll take out the entire building, not to mention every living thing within twenty miles, and put radiation of massive amounts into the atmosphere which_-_"_

"Which would be very bad - I get it." Chase got up and skirted around the pavement to the shadow of the building.

_ "There's tiny windows near the ground that open into the basement of the building. Thankfully, you'll be able to get through them and we'll be able to lead you from there,"_ Davenport said.

"I don't know if I should be offended or relieved," the bionic retorted, but he broke the glass of the window before carefully slipping through the opening, gripping the edge of the sill before dropping down. He winced when the sound of crunching glass echoed loudly. "What next, Mr. Davenport?" he asked as he glanced around the room, filled with hundreds of various, priceless equipment but was devoid of any humans.

_ "Well, there should be stairs leading deeper underground. But watch out for_-_"_

Chase's attention was suddenly cut off from listening to Davenport.

_ Click._ Chase's heart stopped.

"Freeze."

* * *

"Mommy!" screeched a little kid, somewhere within the building that was about to collapse.

_ "Bree, be careful! The buildings stability is rapidly deteriorating!"_ Davenport warned in the teen's ear.

"No kidding! Now be quiet and let me concentrate!" Bree snapped.

"Mommy! Wake up!" the kid screamed from the next floor of the apartment complex that shook and grumbled and crumbled. Bree zoomed up the flight of stairs, and as she made her way to the wailing kid, she checked the rest of the rooms to make sure they were empty. Suddenly, a huge chunk of ceiling fell off and nearly hammered her head between her shoulders, but she yelped and jumped out of the way, sliding baseball style as the chunk crashed onto the floor.

Coughing from the dust, Bree shakily got to her feet before opening the next door to find a woman knocked out on the floor and a kid sobbing next to her, trying to wake her up. The kid, a boy about the age of nine, looked up with surprised eyes at Bree's arrival, but he instantly pleaded for her help.

Bree came to kneel at the mother's side and checked for injuries. Grimacing, Bree placed a finger to her ear comm. "Mr. Davenport, I have a woman here that has a pretty bad head injury."

_ "I'm sending an ambulance to your position now."_ There was a pause where Bree could hear Davenport move away and talk, probably viewing Adam or Chase's progress, but then he was back and sounded worried. _"I've lost contact with Chase."_

"What?" Bree gasped. "What do you mean 'you lost contact with Chase?'"

_ "Exactly what it means! I was explaining to him about the security he needs to watch out for and then the line went dead."_

_ "Chillax, people,"_ Adam piped in. Davenport must have joined the comm. links. _"Chase is probably just taking care of business and doesn't need your insanely annoying voice in his ear while he does it."_

_ "Adam, he needs my instructions if he's to disable the nuclear reactor correctly."_

_ "I was talking about the other kind of business,"_ Adam says seriously.

_ "Why would Chase take a bathroom break when he knows there's people to save?"_ Leo asks in a disgusted voice.

_ "Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go."_

Bree closed her eyes and said in exasperation, "Okay, enough." Turning back to the boy and his mother, she said, "Get on my back, kid, and I'll get you out of here." She picked up the woman as the little boy reached around and clasped hands around her neck. When both passengers were secure, Bree super speeded out of the building and set the mother and child down in a vicinity that would not be in danger of the building should it collapse. "Stay here," she told the boy, but before she left, she turned back and said, "Don't tell anyone about me, okay?"

"Why?" he asked, clearly mystified.

"Because…" she paused, searching for an explanation, and smiled when she found one. "I'm a secret superhero." She winked at the kid before racing back into the building, leaving the boy to stare after her in awe.

Bree climbed up the flights of stairs to the level she didn't get to fully check because of the kid and his mom. She opened another door and screamed as she fell through a hole in the floor.

* * *

_"Bree!"_ Mr. Davenport shrieked - yes, shrieked (and not in a manly way) - in Adam's ear, making him flinch as he ran down vacant halls of a giant college. Adam did a double take as he passed a really weird painting for the third time.

"Mr. Davenport! Either the building is alive and trying to hinder my success in saving lives or I am really lost."

_ "This is Leo Dooley here, speaking on behalf of Donald Davenport who is currently tearing his hair out and is unable to speak. How may I help you?" _

"I need help navigating this horrid maze."

_ "Why are you speaking like a drama student acting out one of Shakespeare's play?"_

"Because I can! Now tell me how to get to the people in need of my awesome strength!"

_ "Okay! Sheesh. Take a left. Now, take a right."_

Adam followed Leo's directions until he came to a hallway that had caved in. He stood before it as he asked, "Uh, what do I do now?"

_ "Move the rocks, of course!"_ Adam shrugged and took a step forward, but before he could do anything, Davenport shouted in his ear… again.

_ "No! Don't!"_

"…Why not?"

_ "If you move the wrong part of the rubble, it could cave in more, and we don't know anything about the status on the other side except that there is a dangerous gas filling the room and that students and teachers are trapped on the other side."_

"All the more reason to start hauling some… college?"

_ "Listen to me, Adam, this has to be done carefully."_

Adam pouted as he listened to Davenport's instructions.

_ Man,_ he thought. _I wish Chase was here._ In his distraction, Adam knocked loose a giant cobblestone that caused the whole pile of stone and wood to come loose.

Adam screamed - yes, screamed (but in a manly way) - as the pile of rubble fell towards him.

* * *

"Adam? Adam? ADAM!"

Davenport's day was seriously going on his Not Top Ten Favorite Days list as #1. He was scrambling around the lab, frantically trying to regain communication with the three bionic teens, but was having no luck. Leo was having a hard enough time just trying to stay out of Big D's way when Tasha came into the lab.

"What the heck is going on here?" she demanded, hands on hips. Donald ignored her but Leo tried to sum everything up for her.

"Well, let's see. There are over two dozen things going horribly wrong in the world, Adam, Bree, and Chase are out there trying to save the it, but those said three are currently unknown to be dead or alive."

_ "What?!"_ Tasha seethed.

"Yeah," Eddie said, appearing on one of his screens. "Now, if you'd please, we'd like you to leave." Tasha looked like she wanted to argue, but Leo interrupted.

"Please, Mom. It'll make things easier." Tasha pursed her lips but gave in.

"You let me know as soon as you find out they're okay," she said warningly before heading back upstairs.

Leo turned to Eddie. "Thanks for helping out, for once."

"Oh, I didn't do it to help out. I just wanted to watch Donny go insane. If 'Tasha' had stayed, then I would miss out on this rare moment."

Leo rolled his eyes. "You're such a good Samaritan." But whatever Eddie was going to retort with was interrupted by a static sound, followed by coughing. Donald and Leo shared a glance at the sound that was coming over the comm. link.

_ "Mr. Davenport? Leo?"_ Adam's voice crackled over the link.

"Oh, thank goodness," Davenport breathed.

* * *

_"Are you okay?"_ Adam moved more debris, coughing from the dust.

"Yeah, I think so. I guess I must have blacked out for a little bit." There was a pause as he stared around. Then, "Uh, Mr. Davenport? Is the air supposed to be green?"

_ "Adam, that's the poison gas. You need to get out of there _now_."_

"There's someone passed out further on. I think the other geeks managed to get out. That's rude. They just walked right over me."

_ "Adam, they probably didn't even know you were there! You were buried," _Leo said.

_ "Just get the person and _get out_!" _Davenport ordered. Adam started to breathe hard just from the effort of climbing over the rubble to the woman in a white lab coat that was passed out.

"I've got her, but - is it just me, or is she heavier than normal?"

_ "Adam, that's the gas affecting you. You need to _move_."_

"Right, need to move. Got it," Adam wheezed as he carried the woman over his shoulder. "Moving is good. Like ice cream trucks. Ice cream's good."

_ "Oh, no… He's starting to hallucinate,"_ Leo stated.

_ "Go, Adam!"_ Davenport urged in his ear, but Adam was finding it hard just to move his feet more than a few inches.

"It's getting kinda hard to breath, Mr. Davenport," Adam gasped. "I think I'm just going to take a break." Ignoring Davenport's pleas to not stop, to keep going, Adam set the woman down carefully before sitting down heavily, leaning against a wall. "It's only for a few minutes. I promise…" Adam's eyes started to close as his mind became fuzzy with sleep.

_ "Adam, you can't fall asleep!"_ the inventor yelled.

_ "C'mon, man."_ Leo said. _"You need to focus. What's your favorite thing to do?"_

Adam smiled, eyes fully closed now. "Tossing Chase across the room."

_ "Okay… Do you want to do that now?"_

"Yeah. That sounds fun."

_ "Then why don't you get up and get home so you can do that?"_

"Can't. I'm too tired." His voice was becoming slurred. No one spoke for a while, and the only sounds to be heard was Adam's rasping breaths. The seventeen-year-old was just on the brink of sleep when Davenport spoke in his ear, his voice solemn with the slightest hint of shaking.

_ "Listen, Adam. Help's on the way. I can't promise that it's going to be okay. I don't know if help will get there in time."_

"That'sth o'ay, Mr. Dafenporth," Adam said. "Justh take 'are o' Bree and Chasey."

_ "Don't talk like that,"_ Davenport ordered. _"You're going to make it. You have to."_

"I don't know. Maybe I'll get to sthee Mama." There was a sharp intake of air from Davenport, but Adam didn't care.

He'd already slipped into oblivion.

* * *

Bree grunted as she fought to hold on to the strip of cable as she dangled over a gaping hole, several floors deep. Tears fell from her eyes because of the strain, and she glanced at her shaking arms, and then back up at the cable, which was sliding loose the longer she held on.

"Mr. Davenport!" she cried. No answer. _The earpiece must have came out when I fell,_ she thought. Her eyes darted around for some kind of solution to her problem, but she couldn't find one. _What would Chase do?_

However, before she could follow the though through, the cable suddenly snapped and she screamed as she fell about ten feet before the cable jerked to a stop, causing Bree to almost lose her grip on the wire. Terrified, Bree clung to the wire as if it were her lifeline, which it was - literally. After a few seconds, her pounding heart started to slow, just as a solution came to mind. _What would Chase do?_ Well, that's simple. He would either a) use his molecular kinesis or b) swing the cable side to side before jumping off and landing on the nearest floor on the other side of the hole. Since she obviously didn't have option _a_, option _b_ was the only thing left.

Piece of cake.

Bree took a deep breath to prepare and calm himself, but the sound of another part of the building collapsing convinced her to hurry. She felt a breeze blow across the sweat beading her forehead and nape of her neck as she started to swing back and forth, gasping when she would adjust her motion. When she had enough momentum, she let go of the wire just as the cable broke.

For several long seconds, she was suspended in air, and just when she thought she would make it, she fell short, instead she could only grab the ledge of the floor. She smiled shakily and gave a small laugh; she couldn't believe she actually didn't die.

But then the piece of floor she was handing from broke off and she screamed as she fell to the next apartment.

Bree landed hard, the wind knocked out of her, and she could only watch it horror as the floor above her started to crumble down on her.

In a flash, she was on her feet and she speeded out of the way just as the ceiling crashed right where she had been. In seconds she was out of the building and a safe distance away where she stood, gasping, as she watched the building cave in. As the dust rose in giant billows, she remembered that she had a spare comm. device in a pouch of her mission suit. She pulled it out with trembling fingers and fit it into her ear.

"Mr. Davenport?"

_ "Bree?_ Davenport's voice was very high-pitched and he sounded very stressed. _"Are you okay?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine. Has Chase made contact yet?"

_ "No."_ The inventor made a choking sound. _"And Adam will die if help doesn't get there in time."_

"What?!" Bree gasped, her voice rising and her heart beating out of control. "No- no. That- that's not possible. He's going to live, right?"

_ "I don't know, Bree! I've sent Agent Fitz with medical gear to go get him, but I don't know if he'll make it."_

"I'm going to go get him myself," Bree declared, and was just about to take off when Davenport stopped her.

_ "No! Bree, you need to finish your assignments. Adam will hang on until Fitz arrives."_

"But you said you didn't know if he would just fifteen seconds ago!"

_ "Bree! Adam wouldn't have wanted you to come for him! You've got to respect that!"_

"But he's my brother!" That made Davenport pause, but Bree wasn't sure why, and when he spoke, his tone was subdued.

_ "I know, Bree. But if I were Adam, and I knew I didn't have long, and I was talking to you _right now_, would you respect my wishes then?"_ Bree sniffled, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yes, but I wouldn't like it," she said, her voice quivering. Her legs threatened to give out, and she was tempted to just crawl under a rock and cry her eyes out. But she knew that Adam wouldn't have wanted that. Dang it! She's got to stop thinking like he was already dead. She looked down at the piece of paper with the addresses on it and studied the next one.

"Mission one complete. Commencing mission two."

* * *

_ARRRRie. ARRRRie. ARRRRie. _

Chase growled. The ear-splitting alarm was seriously getting on his nerves. He stood in a defensive position in front of two giant, burly men - wielding hand guns, by the way - who could pass off as world champion wrestlers or super-soldier marines.

"Which one of you is Captain America? Oh, wait. Neither of you are 'cause neither of you are wearing the spangly outfit," Chase mocked sarcastically.

"You're lucky we're not dressed like Spider-man," the one on the left said just as enthusiastically. Chase nearly lost his lunch at the mental image, but the brief distraction was all the two needed and they launched their attack. Chase barely ducked the first punch, but the second caught him right in the gut, causing him to wheeze and double over in pain.

"This kid isn't so tough," the second guy scoffed. The two shared a look. "What do we do with him?"

"Take him to the boss?" When they looked back, Chase was gone. A shadow danced in the corner of their eyes, but before they could turn in that direction, they were picked up off of their feet and slammed together, rendering them unconscious.

"I've had enough boss men to last me a lifetime, thanks," Chase said before taking off to finish his mission. He forgot, however, to turn his earpiece back on ever since he'd turned it off when he confronted the guards.

* * *

Click. _His heart stopped._

_ "Freeze."_

_ And that he did. His shoulders tensed and he ignored Davenport's annoying voice in his ear._

_ "Hands above your head." As he complied, he smoothly brushed his fingers across he ear, turning off the comm. link so he wouldn't be distracted. "Turn around _-_ slow." Chase spun on his heel to face the two buff dudes and saw two guns pointed at him. _

* * *

During his whole trip to the nuclear reactor, he passed only two or three scientists in the halls, but they did nothing to stop him - they didn't even seem to acknowledge him. When he reached the reactor, he was not surprised to see computers upon computers surrounding the massive device, and every single one was flashing some kind of warning of sorts. And it was only then that he remembered that he needed Davenport's help to stop the reactor from… well, exploding, really.

He switched his comm. back on, but he paused before speaking as he heard Mr. Davenport talking frantically to Leo.

Chase froze. "Mr. Davenport? What's wrong?" Immediately, the jabbering stopped for five seconds before Davenport spoke into the comm.

_ "Chase? Why the heck weren't you answering? I thought something horrible had happened!"_

"Mr. Davenport, I'm fine. I just had to take care of some goons and I turned off my earpiece so I wouldn't get distracted." Chase paused. "What about Bree and Adam?"

_ "I'm fine," _came his sister's voice through the link. _"I'm so glad that I didn't become an only child within just thirty minutes."_

"Why would you think that?" Chase asked, genuinely confused, but when no one answered him, an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. "Guys? What happened to Adam? Is he alright?"

_ "Chase…"_ Davenport began quietly, _"Adam might not make it home this time."_

Chase suddenly felt weak and leant against a wall for support. "What? Are you saying-"

_ "That Adam could die, yes."_

"And you're okay with this?" Chase nearly shrieked, hearing the resignation in Davenport's voice.

_ "Of course not! I'm his father! Do you even know what I'm going through right now? Three of my children are going out on missions that they may never come home from! I've done what I can for Adam from here, but now I need to focus on you and Bree. Adam would understand."_

"But I don't!" Chase whined, tears building in his eyes and his voice started to shake. He couldn't imagine life without is big brother, even if he teased him non-stop. "This… is-isn't - I mean, w-we just… just c-can't…" Chase couldn't finish his sentence because the emotions inside were boiling in his stomach and his chest felt like an overgrown elephant had sat on it with the intent to collapse his chest cavity.

Davenport, back in the lab was barely holding it together at the sound of devastation in Chase's voice, which reminded him of a time he'd rather forget.

* * *

_"You monster!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face as he cradled her in his arms, while _he_ stood raving in the background, totally oblivious_-

* * *

Davenport pulled out of the painful memory so fast that his head actually jerked back.

Meanwhile, Bree had paused in her mission and listened to Chase's heartbroken argument with Mr. Davenport, trying to hold back tears.

"Chase, you need to listen to me," she said as soothingly as she can.

Back with Chase, hearing Bree's gentle but commanding voice helped him to stop his pacing but his heart still thumped wildly in his chest.

_ "I know this is hard, Chase; it's hard for me, too. But do you think Adam would have wanted us to sacrifice hundreds of lives just to save his? Even Adam wouldn't be that selfish."_

Chase glanced at the ceiling. His bionic, logical self knew that Bree was right and it was overpowering his human self that refused to accept the truth. Curse his super smarts - sometimes. Bree, Davenport, and Leo could hear the alarms blaring at Chase's end while they waited several tense seconds for him to make a decision.

Finally, Chase took a deep breath and steeled himself. "No, he wouldn't." Chase interrupted the sighs of relief he heard by saying, "Mr. Davenport, I think it's time we shut down this nuclear reactor before it blows up and destroys the town."

_ "That sounds like a wonderful idea,"_ the adult agreed.

* * *

Harrison grinned gleefully as he listened to the conversations between Davenport and his children, and it was even more fun as he watched the three bionics through separate security footages. Seriously, the comm. link and video feeds were as easy to hack as singing the _ABC_'s.

Suddenly, a small beeping noise sounded, alerting the man that he had an incoming transmission. He opened it on his tablet and a live video filled the screen, revealing a shadow-shrouded man like the one receiving the message.

_ "How are things proceeding?"_ asked the new-comer, his voice garbled from decrypting.

"Everything's going according to plan. Our mutual friend looks like he's ready to tear his hair out."

_ "Excellent. What stage are you at?"_

"Stage seven, but it's almost completed."

_ "Remind me of stage eight, again."_

"While the Davenports are focused on the wild goose chases I sent them on, I am free to steal the necessary devices needed to complete our own. Stage eight is assembling our machine."

_ "Very good."_

"You know," Harrison drawled out, "when I kidnapped the boy, I couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance between father and son." He grinned at the other man's momentary lapse of silence.

Then, _"Just get on with our plan. The sooner I can have my revenge, the better."_

Harrison continued to smile. "Whatever you say, kid."

_ "Don't call me that!"_ growled the cryptic man. Harrison frowned.

"Listen, I can call you whatever I want. Tick me off, and the whole deal is over. You're whole revenge business depends on my cooperation, and the only reason I'm helping you is because I don't agree with what Donald did to us."

_ "I understand that! But I'm not a kid anymore __-__ something you and that traitor will understand soon enough."_

Harrison smirked. "That's the spirit."

The shadowed figure paused, then said with a sneer, _"Oh, and as soon as he gets the chance, Davenport will bring in the cavalry."_

The older man's brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What do you mean?" His partner just chuckled before ending the conversation, Harrison's tablet screen going black. The man felt anger suddenly surge, and he slammed his fist on the table top.

He hated surprises.

* * *

**Chapter theme soundtrack: Let The Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch. I highly suggest listening to that to increase the effect of the chapter.**

**So... what did you guys think? As always, I love feedback. You're reviews always make me smile :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Yo! How y'all doing? Today has been an awesome day, if I may say so myself. My family and I went out and had some well-deserved family time and I had a blast. So anyway, enjoy chapter eight. Oh... and remember to take breaks if it gets too intense. ;) I hope you guys are still alive at the end of this chapter, because then there wouldn't be any reason to continue this story... so yeah. **

**Special shout out to MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul, who is extremely awesome, by the way. If you haven't read her stories, I highly suggest you do. They're very interesting. :) MoonlitShadows, you're medical advice won't come into play in this chapter, but chapter nine. **

**Also, thanks to all my faithful reviewers. You guys... *shakes head with a smile* I just can't describe how much you guys encourage me and make me laugh and smile. **

**And thanks to anyone who favorited, followed, or just read my story. It means a lot.**

* * *

Don't give up hoping when the ship goes down.

Grab a spar or something - just refuse to drown.

Don't think you are dying just because you're hit,

Smile in the face of danger and hang to your grit.

-Louis E. Thayer, _Hang To Your Grit!_

* * *

_"Reports are coming in of vandalism all over the city __-__ from hardware stores to school campuses__-__"_

"Chase! You need to hurry!"

_ "We are at the scene of a terrifying firefight between brave cops and ninja-like robbers-"_

"Bree, be careful!"

_ "The mayor has issued a statement to all citizens: Lock your doors, lock your windows, and go outside only if you need to."_

"There's too many things happening at the same time! They won't be able to stop them all!"

_ "There wasn't any warning at all. They just swooped in and stole our most valuable science equipment in this university. If those machines got into the wrong hands, then it wouldn't be good. Wouldn't be good at all."_

"Maybe not, but they need to try."

* * *

_Thud._

Followed by a grunt as someone struggled to their feet.

Chase spat blood onto the ground, then wiped away whatever was left from the split lip he'd received when his opponent punched him in the face.

_ "Chase, I thought I taught you better than to just stand there and eat a fist,"_ Davenport said.

"Shut up," Chase snapped, but he was grinning anyway. He finally got to his feet and faced his opponent.

"Starting them out a little young, aren't they?" the muscled man said to no one in particular, his deep voice rumbling in the empty space.

"Excuse me?" Chase asked, genuinely confused.

"What are you? CIA? NSA? MI6?"

"Something like that," the bionic said. "You could say that I come from a private organization."

"Look, kid, I don't want to hurt you, but you leave me n-"

Chase rushed the man before he could finish. He sprang into the air at the precise moment, wrapping his thighs around the goon's neck and then used his momentum to swing around, pulling the man down with him. He landed on his back where he then grabbed one of the man's flailing arms, pulling it tight as he proceeded to choke the man.

After several seconds of intense physical straining, the goon finally passed out. Chase let go of the man's arm and went limp as he looked at the ceiling, sweat beading his forehead, gasping slightly.

_ "Get up, Chase. You need to keep going."_ Chase groaned but got to his feet anyway, lightly kicking the unconscious body out of the way. It was passed midnight, and he was only a little over halfway through the list of emergencies Davenport gave him. His body was tired and sore from fighting so many guards of top secret facilities, and his mind was also tired, making it difficult to concentrate.

Bree's voice suddenly crackled in his ear. _"I'm almost done with Adam's list, Mr. Davenport."_ With her super speed and Davenport's help, Bree was able to finish her missions in twice the normal time and move onto Adam's.

Thinking about Adam made Chase's chest ache. Davenport had told them that Adam had been picked up by Fitz and was taken to one of Davenport's research buildings that would be able to help the oldest bionic.

That was twelve hours ago.

They still didn't know if Adam was going to be alright or not.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Mr. Davenport," Chase gasped as he moved deeper into the compound, where he was supposed to stop some thieves from stealing a high-priority item.

_ "I know, Chase, but you're almost done. You're doing a great job."_

Chase smiled, but before he could reply, a shadow moved on his right. He sharpened his hearing as he continued to walk.

"What is _he_ doing here? He's early," Chase heard an unfamiliar female voice somewhere in the darkness. Even though his heartbeat was beginning to race, he continued to walk as if he hadn't heard anything.

"We can't let him stop this segment of the operation. It's crucial to the plan that we succeed," whispered a second person - male.

"What do we do?" asks the first voice.

"We delay him," came the solution.

"You know we can't kill him, right? Boss' orders."

"I know that, but the orders never said anything about having a little fun."

Chase swallowed thickly, picking up his pace. The voices went silent; he couldn't even hear their footfalls.

Suddenly, a girl clad in black somersaulted from the darkness to stand in front of him, ridiculously thin and agile.

Chase's lungs seemed to stop working as he stared in horror at one of his torturers. Slim Girl laughed at him and said in a totally different voice, "Hello, Chasey. Did ya miss me?" The bionic started to hyperventilate when he heard a familiar and unwelcome voice behind him.

"Naww, he missed me more." Chase turned to see Steroid Boy peeling off a clear patch off of his throat where his larynx was. "Isn't that right?" The teen whipped back around and saw Slim Girl doing the same thing.

"It's only been just a little over a day since we last saw him." When she caught him staring at the clear patch gripped between her pointer finger and thumb, she chuckled. "Voice manipulators," she said with a smirk. "Who knew spy movies could come in so handy."

_ "Chase! What's going on? Are you okay?"_ Davenport's worried voice was persistent, but Chase ignored him.

Hate began to burn in his heart, swelling into an inferno.

"What's the matter," mocked Slim Girl, making a pouty face. "Baby Chasey doesn't want to play? Do you want to run to your mommy?" As the look on Chase's face darkened, the older teen laughed cruelly. "Oh, that's right! You can't 'cause you don't have a mommy." That was the last straw needed to break the dam holding the bionic's hatred in.

With an outrage scream, Chase turned so that his right side faced Slim Girl and his left side faced Steroid Boy, and then he thrust his arms out, sending the two flying (along with anything else not attached to the floor thanks to his molecular kinesis) as if a bomb had detonated where Chase stood. Steroid Boy crashed into a wall while Slim Girl fell into a table with pricy equipment on it.

Chase stood there, arms still outstretched and chest heaving, as he glared around, his shadowed eyes and fierce expression making him seem evil; like, Dark-side evil - minus the glowing yellow eyes.

_ "Chase! What happened? Are you okay? ANSWER ME!"_ Davenport's voice was extremely anxious, and to Chase - it was becoming annoying.

"I'm fine," he growled, finally lowering his arms. "Just ran into a little trouble, but I took care of it."

"You sure about that?" Steroid Boy snarled, cracking his neck and then his knuckles as he approached Chase.

Chase's lip curled into a sneer. "Yeah. I'm sure." He rushed the bigger teen, throwing a right hook at his face, but when Steroid Boy deflected it, Chase twisted before he jerked his elbow back, hitting his opponent right in the nose. There was a loud _snap_ as Steroid Boy yelled in pain, pushing away from Chase as he clutched his throbbing and bleeding nose.

"Bill!" shrieked Slim Girl from the other side of the room.

Chase grinned and looked at Bill. "Bill, huh? Is it short for Billboard? Aka large and stupid?"

"Shut up!" Bill howled.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Slim Girl hissed, running at Chase from behind. She raised a clenched hand, preparing to strike at Chase's temple, but the bionic whipped around and grabbed her fist then pulled it down the unnatural way, threatening to break her elbow. Slim Girl yelped and fell to her knees to try and flow with the moment to prevent suffering from anymore pain.

"Natalia!" Bill cried. Apparently they cared very much for each other.

Natalia refused to give up, however, and she swung out her legs, knocking Chase's feet from under him and causing him to lose his hold on her. As he tried to get to his feet, Natalia beat him to it and kicked him in the ribs, forcing him to roll onto his back.

"Get up," she hissed, fury dancing in her eyes, but equal hatred burned in his.

Chase got to his feet and stood in a defensive stance, Natalia mimicking him. For a few tense seconds, no one moved, but then Natalia let out a yell and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick but the bionic lifted his arm and deflected it with his forearm. He followed his block with a right hook but Natalia held her palms up and pushed his arm down. As Chase was bent over slightly from unbalance, the female brought her knee up, intending to break his nose, but it was off-centered and hit his cheekbone instead; however, it still had the desired effect.

Chase stumbled back, managing to lift his hand up in defense while he shook his head, trying to clear away the black spots dancing before his eyes.

"Finish it, Natalia!" demanded Bill. Chase saw it coming too late.

Natalia's foot came at his leg, and before Chase could react, it hit his knee on the inside with an upward force.

Chase screamed as white-hot pain shot through his leg, causing it to buckle and send him crashing to the ground. He rolled onto his side, his broken knee bent slightly as his hands reached towards it but didn't touch. Tears fell from his eyes as he clenched his teeth and pressed his face into the floor, sobs mixed with screams escaping his throat.

"Let's get out of here," Bill said.

Natalia knelt down by Chase, watching him as he suffered in agony. "Consider this a warning, Chase," she hissed. "Next time you won't be so lucky." With that, she and Bill disappeared into the gloom while Davenport yelled in Chase's ear, begging the bionic to respond, but the teen was oblivious to everything except the pain before he finally blacked out, minutes before some of Davenport's medics arrived to help him.

* * *

Bree had frozen in mid-step when she heard the guttural scream that could have only come from Chase. The blood had drained from her face and her legs and hands trembled.

"Mr-Mr. D-Davenp-port?" she stuttered fearfully. "Wha-What ha-happened?"

There was a long pause, and when she thought that her father wasn't going to answer, he finally spoke with a strained and desperate voice. _"I don't know! I'm trying to hack into the security feed of the building he was in but something shut me out and I can't find a loop hole and Chase won't answer me and Adam is still unresponsive and it's all so_-_"_ Tears sprang to Bree's eyes at the sound of Davenport's broken voice.

Bree always teased the boys about moving out and going somewhere far away from all of… that (at this point, she would gesture to Adam and Chase with a disgusted look), but she never actually imagined life without them. Okay, so maybe she daydreamed about having a life away from her brother's, but they would always be there to visit her or vice versa. She couldn't bear the thought of them being gone forever, and in that moment, she vowed never to tease them like that again.

"He'll be alright," Bree said, but she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or Davenport.

"Oi, _niña bonita_!" called a voice. "Pretty girl! _Tú_ _trabajas_- You work here?" Bree turned to see the guy with the Spanish accent walking up to her. He was dressed an all black outfit with black leather gloves - unusual.

"_Sí_," she replied, plastering on a smile. "I'm part of the new security division. And I'm, well, new, and I haven't had the chance to look at the personnel files. Do you… _trabajas_ here, too?"

The man smiled at her attempt to speak his language. "_Sí_. I'm the janitor."

Bree furrowed her brows as she glanced at the man's attire. "And does the janitor usually dress like a character out of a spy movie?"

The guy's smile only seemed to grow larger, which further convinced Bree that he was _not_ a janitor. "You see - I'm a little embarrassed to admit this - I was on my way to this convention about different spy books and everyone had to dress up as spies, but then work called and I had take an extra shift. I didn't get the chance to change. What about you? Is that the 'new security division' uniform?"

Bree glance down at her mission suit and chuckled nervously. "Yeah, probably not the best choice."

"So what does this division do?" he asked.

Bree smiled. "Oh, we're assigned to patrol this facility and stop thieves like you."

The man's smile froze on his face. "Excuse me?"

"You really expected me to buy the whole 'spy convention' crap?"

"And you expect me to believe the 'new security division' story?" His face darkened and an evil grin emerged on his face. "My boss owns this compound and he briefed me personally all about it. So, you obviously don't belong here."

Bree snarled, "And neither do you." She threw a fist at his jaw but he ducked, and before she react, he sprang forward, wrapping his arms around her stomach and brought her down with him. The breath was crushed out of her from the impact and she was still gasping for air when the guy got to his feet and stood over her.

"So _muy bonita_," he sighed remorsefully. "Such a shame to ruin it." He lifted his foot to bring it down on her face, but before he could smash it in, she managed to roll away and get to her feet, much to his surprise. He could still see she was having a hard time breathing and he smiled. "Come on, _muchacha_. Don't make this so hard on yourself." He pulled out a gun that looked like it belonged in Star Wars. "I'll make it quick." He leveled the gun at her, and her eyes widened with fear.

_ Bang!_

* * *

Davenport heard a vehicle pull into his secret driveway he used only for his mission cars and immediately knew it was the ambulance carrying Chase. His private team of surgeons and other medical staff were waiting anxiously in the lab for their patient as Davenport continued to monitor Bree. The reason why Adam had to go to a separate facility and not Chase was because Davenport didn't have any doctors that specialized in poisons on speed-dial that could get to Davenport's house in less than two hours, so he shipped Adam in a helicopter and got him to the doctors in thirty-five minutes. Chase, however, could be treated in his very home, and he liked that idea better than a hospital where their secret could be discovered and then everything would fall apart, worse than it was now.

The doctors already had a surgical area prepared, closed off by a white curtain, and Davenport glanced at it apprehensively. But then his private emergency responders came in, wheeling in a gurney on which his youngest bionic was strapped to, still unconscious. The adult rushed over to the gurney and walked with it.

"Is he okay? What's wrong with him?" he asked.

One of the responders gave him an annoyed sideways-glance but replied anyway. "His knee is shattered, sir. Now, if you don't mind, please step away from the stretcher and let us do our job." Davenport numbly complied, devastated by the news. A wound like that could cripple a person for life, but he had to believe that his doctors - who were the best, by the way - could make it right.

Then, a gun shot went off in his ear comm. and his eyes widened in fear. An unwanted memory surfaced before he had a chance to stop it.

* * *

_Bang!_

_ She fell to the floor, lifeless. He rushed forward, feeling his heart shatter into a million pieces. "NOOOOO!" he cried as he ran before dropping to his knees and sliding to her side. He picked her up and held her tight in his arms, her beautiful hazel eyes wide open, staring straight up but not seeing. Her body was limp in his grasp, one hand resting on her midsection and the other lying palm up on the cold stone floor. _

_ "You monster!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face as he cradled her in his arms, while _he_ stood raving in the background, totally oblivious_-

* * *

Davenport sucked in a sharp breath and placed a shaking hand to his brow. _Why now?_ he thought. Why is all of this happening? But then he realized something.

"Bree?" he said quietly, voice quivering at the possibility that Bree was at the receiving end of the gunshot, and made eye contact with Leo's equally scared gaze. "Bree?" he called louder, voice cracking, and he looked to the ceiling as he bit on his bottom lip. "Bree. Answer me." There was no response, but before he could speak again, something went horribly wrong behind the white curtain.

* * *

Fire.

Fire couldn't even begin to describe the pain she felt.

Wait - why was she in pain? Oh, that's right. She got shot. …But…why did she get shot? Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as she tried to focus on the spinning room, her breath coming in small, almost-nonexistent gasps. Oh, yeah. She was dumb enough to stand still in front of the gun that shot her.

She wanted to roll onto her side, but when she tried, she cried out as white-hot pain exploded in her shoulder and was forced to lie still. Hot tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she quietly sobbed. Even that hurt.

"Somebody, help!" she tried to scream, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper. Her communicator! She could ask Davenport to get help. "Mr. D.? Mr. Davenport?" A cramp twisted in her chest, making her gasp. Why wouldn't he answer? Bree moved her good arm slowly until she could touch the ear that had her comm. in it… or did have. Her fingers groped around her ear desperately and found nothing. She felt more tear fall. It must have fallen out when she fell.

She took several deep breaths, her heart pounding in fear of what she was about to do. With all the strength and courage she could muster, she sat up, but she screamed as it felt like her bad shoulder was ripped apart. Before she lost her concentration, she clumsily got to her feet, biting her bottom lip in the process. When she was standing, she nearly fell back down, but she realized she was near a wall and so she leaned against it. Her shoulder throbbed like nothing she'd ever experienced and sweat dampened her hair. Gross.

Bree shuffled forward a few steps, her bad arm hanging limply at her side, then decided she was going too slow, so she super speeded out of the building and to Chase's last location, which was closer than Davenport's mansion, intending to retrieve his self-driving car to get there.

Because she knew she wasn't going to make it home all by herself.

* * *

It was dark, and it was cold.

He sat shivering on his cot, knees up to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. Waiting.

He missed his family, his home. He missed teasing his siblings or just hanging out with them. He scowled suddenly. The only company he had would come only sporadically and torture his mind.

He'd lost count of the days he'd been locked in this prison, since the day they restored his hearing, since the day he found out his bionics were useless - forced to pace in his windowless, dark cell and listen to lies that he wasn't even sure if they were lies anymore.

* * *

_"H__-__ …e th__-__… __-__al__-__"_

* * *

The voice he suddenly heard in his mind sent a wave of pain through his head and left knee, but he couldn't figure out why.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened, casting bright light on him that assaulted his eyes and he lifted a hand to block out the light. Squinting, he saw a large and familiar silhouetted shape of one of his torturers, and his heart started to thud painfully in his chest.

* * *

_"I__-__ …on't… __-__der__-__! Wh__-__ h-h'ng?"_

* * *

"Chase," sneered Steroid Boy - or Bill, but Chase didn't know how he knew that. "The Boss wants to meet you." Bill stomped in and wrapped a meaty hand around one of Chase's biceps, roughly pulling the younger teen to his feet.

Chase's knees gave out when he stood and he would have fallen if it weren't for Bill holding him up.

"Why do I always get stuck with the weaklings?" Steroid Boy muttered. Chase growled and regained his footing, defiantly pushing with his free hand on Bill's chest with enough strength to slightly unbalance the overgrown teen. "Why, you little-" Bill snarled, tightening his already stone-crushing grip on Chase's arm while glaring at the bionic. "You're lucky the Boss needs you alive or I would have killed you where you stood. Now, come on." Bill walked out of the cell and stormed through the halls of some sort of old building - like a castle - while he dragged Chase with him.

The bionic fruitlessly tried to yank his arm free, but Bill just kept walking, unfazed. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked through clenched teeth, still unwilling to give up.

"That's for the Boss to know and you to find out," Steroid Boy said, sniggering. Chase was filled with dread at those words.

Finally, they came to another door with thick and ancient wood. Steroid Boy turned the handle and gave a big shove, causing the door to swing open with a loud screech which hurt Chase's newly-restored, sensitive ears. He winced, but before he could dwell on it, he was forcibly pushed into the room beyond that was lit by a single bulb, creating a spotlight-like beam. When Chase regained his footing, he found himself directly under the bulb, facing into the darkness but he turned around when he heard the door slam shut. And so there he was, left in a mysterious room, unsure if he was alone or not, but that problem was solved a moment later.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you have a remarkable resemblance to your mother?" The new voice echoed throughout the room, making him jump, but his face instantly turned into a scowl. "Of course, there's a fair amount of your father in your DNA." A man stepped out of the shadows, joining Chase in the sphere of light, a sinister grin on his face.

The Boss was tall, about six foot or a little bit over, with blond hair and a slim build. He wore a suit and tie, completely passing off the businessman look.

"Who are you?" Chase asked, shifting slightly into a more defensive stance. The stranger ignored him, however, because he folded his hands behind his back and started to circle the bionic, chin lifted as he stared at the teen out of the corner of his eye. Instead of answering Chase's question, he asked one of his own.

"Do you remember your mother?" His voice was silky, a voice that belonged to someone who deceives others, who twists his words to get what he desires.

Chase was stunned by the inquiry. "What does she have to do anything?" he asked, sincere confusion in his tone.

"Just answer the question, Chase," the man warned in a patient voice.

"You…You know my name," Chase stated with a gulp, eyes following the stranger, who started to chuckle.

"Of course. I know _everything_ about your family and it's precious secret."

* * *

_"Ho__-__… __-__m __-__o'n!"_

* * *

Chase felt his heartbeat rise and swallowed nervously. "Are you from the government?" At his question, the adult threw his head back laughing. Chase was so shocked by this that he faltered out of his defensive stand.

"My boy, if I were part of the government, you wouldn't be here, standing freely with a clear head. If you were in the custody of the government, you wouldn't even be standing at all for the first few weeks! You'd be pumped with so many drugs that you wouldn't even know what is real and what is a dream. You'd be hooked to so many different machines while they monitor you. And if you're lucky, in a few months you might be able to be released from the science ward and into the military division where they will push you to your limits and see how much of a threat you actually are." The Boss stopped his circling and faced Chase, pointing a finger at the teen. "And after that, if they find you to be of use, they'd try with all their power to turn you into a weapon to use against thousands, enemy soldiers and civilians alike. It wouldn't matter much to them."

He took a step forward, dropping his hand to his side. "So be thankful, _boy_, that I'm not from the government." After a few seconds of staring at the wide-eyed teen, he again clasped his hands behind his back and continued his circling. "But we're avoiding the matters at hand. You never answered my question."

Chase looked at the ground as he racked his brain for anything about his mom. "No," he said thickly. "I never knew her." He heard the adult _tsk_ several times in disappointment.

"Shame. But, then again, you probably wouldn't."

Chase followed the man, turning his head to keep him in sight. "But you didn't answer mine, either. What does she have to do with this?" He frowned .

when the stranger chortled darkly.

"Oh, my dear boy, she has _everything_ to do with this."

* * *

_"__-__s h'rt… __-__eat's… r__-__i'g__-__!"_

* * *

"Did you know that your…_ father_-" he spat out the word as if it left a horrible taste in his mouth "-was involved in her death?" The Boss finally stopped his pacing and turned to the bionic, who's face had gone even more pale.

Chase felt as if an elephant had run him over because he found it hard to breathe. "W-What?" he gasped, but the guy just kept rambling on in a delirious-like state induced by a strong fever.

* * *

_"HU__-__!"_

_ "Wh's __-__e 'oin__-__?"_

* * *

The painful voices inside his head were getting louder as his heart sped up.

"And do you know why you're here, _Chase_?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You're here because of a plan for sweet, _sweet_ revenge on the man who ruined my life, my partner's life, and _**stole**_ _her_ life!"

Chase shook his head in denial, backing away while tangling his fingers into his hair just above his ears and pulling on the strands in distress. "N-No… No… You-… You're _wrong_!" For the first time since he woke up in his cell and discovered that none of his bionics worked, he felt a sliver of his powers boil within him, and he grasped at them fervently. He felt a force field trying to form around him, but whatever nullifier they used to keep his powers in check was still too strong and all that happened was blueish sparks shooting off every now and then.

The Boss was still ranting on and on and _on_. "None of this would even be happening if he hadn't gotten involved fifteen years ago! But he had a school-boy crush on her and just wouldn't let her go." At the last part, the man sneered, his upper lip curling in disgust. "She would still be alive if it weren't for him!"

* * *

_"EV'RYB__-__ 'ET __-__ACK!"_

* * *

"You're **lying**!" Chase shouted, hatred burning in his eyes. "My father would _never __**do THAT**_!"

The adult's face was contorted in fury, the single bulb casting shadows onto one side of his face. _**"Donald Davenport. Murdered. Lucy Davenport."**_

* * *

_"TAKE COVER!"_

* * *

Chase let go of his hair and glared straight on at the Boss. _**"LIAR!"**_ Suddenly, it was as if a dam had broken inside of him and all of his bionics came rushing back to him a rush. The force field he was trying to create exploded around him, and before he could control it, it pulsed outwards from him as the central point. His captor was sent flying until he crashed into a wall, but Chase didn't relish in it because pain suddenly flared in his left knee and didn't disappear. Voices floated around in his mind, causing a headache that pounded with every heartbeat.

* * *

_"Ho__-__… __-__e st'p __-__m?!"_

_ "W__-__… __-__n't."_

* * *

"Stop it, stop it, _stop it_!" Chase growled, gripping his head again and scrunching his eyes shut.

Then, silence.

No pain in his knee, no voices in his head. All he heard was his own gasping for air. Cautiously, he started to uncurl his fingers from his hair, the joints within the digits stiff from the tension. When he opened his eyes, he instantly had to shield his them with a hand from the bright light that came from all around him. Well, he wasn't in that dark room anymore.

When his eyes adjusted somewhat, Chase detected movement in front of him, but he didn't feel the need to be wary. Whoever was coming was a friend. He knew it.

A figure emerged from the light and walked towards him - a woman. She wore a long, flowing white gown adorned with silk and lace, but a silk hood hid most of her face from view (plus, he could tell she was watching where she was stepping more than looking ahead.) As she walked gracefully towards him, she suddenly tripped because of the high heels she must have been wearing. "Dang it!" she hissed with the voice of a woman not much older than twenty. "I hate wearing dresses."

As she recovered, Chase asked with genuine curiosity, "Then why are you wearing one?" At the sound of his voice, she froze. She straightened slowly before turning to face him. He didn't know how she saw him with the hood so low, but he knew she somehow could.

A delicate hand with slender fingers raised to her lips in shock. "Chase," she whispered, unbelief in her voice as she stepped forward gingerly, her already raised hand stretched out as if to touch him but she pulled back at the last second. "My beautiful baby," she sobbed, clasping her hands over her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud.

Chase swallowed thickly. Either this woman was nuts… or- No. It wasn't possible. Instead of asking to find out, he implored, "Am I dead?" Apparently, his companion found his question hilarious and started to laugh through her tears. The teen noted that she had a very pretty laugh.

"Oh, no, Chase. You're very much alive." She continued to giggle but her humor was subsiding as she studied him.

"Then why am I here? Where is here?" His eyes wandered around them but all he saw was light; he glanced back at the woman. "Who are you?" A small smile graced her lips.

"So much like your father," she observed in a tone similar to wistfulness. Then she shook herself and lifted her chin slightly. "I can't answer all of your questions," she said in a firm voice. However, it softened at her next words. "But I can answer one."

Chase felt his heart flutter in anticipation and held his breath. The woman smiled brightly.

"I'm your mother."

* * *

It was so tempting to puke all over the sleek interior of one of Davenport's prized cars.

But she didn't.

Bree fought to stay awake on the car ride home because there was a good chance that she may never wake up again. So that's why she was currently blaring her most hated genre of music: heavy, _heavy_ metal. It did the trick alright. There was no way she was ever falling asleep while listening to _that_.

When the self-driving car pulled into Davenport's driveway reserved for mission vehicles, she was barely conscious, practically pleading to pass out just to spare her mind the torture of grinding vocals and screeching electric guitars and thundering drums. She managed to turn off the car and stumble out onto the pavement, her head swimming dangerously as she wobbled for the door. She barely registered the ambulance parked in the driveway as well, but when she did, she immediately guessed who had been carried in it.

_ Chase._

That thought alone propelled her forward, stumbling into the elevator and pressing the button that would take her to the lab. Before the doors opened, she heard someone scream, "TAKE COVER!" With a racing heart, the doors opened. The sight that greeted her was definitely not what she expected.

Several doctors, three emergency responders, Mr. Davenport, and Leo were ducking behind various things for shelter. But that wasn't strange compared to what she saw next.

Her baby brother was suspended in the air, about five feet off of an operating table with his back arched and arms spread out to the side, and small objects within a ten foot radius of Chase were swirling around in the air. A force field tried to form around his body, but it kept sputtering out. He looked to be unconscious, but his face was set in a hard expression, as if he was having a nightmare or something.

Bree's eyes widened at a possibility. Maybe everything that's happening is just one huge glitch.

Davenport spotted Bree and ushered her over quickly. She complied, getting down on her hands and knees (however, she had to cradle her bad arm against her stomach) and crawling over to the adult. When Davenport saw what she was doing with her arm, he instantly frowned. "What happened?" he asked, studying her as she sat with her back leaning against the counter, huffing. When he caught sight of the blaster wound, he immediately turned to her in concern. "Are you okay?"

Bree swallowed down the nausea, feeling so miserable that she didn't even try to put up a false act. Tears sprang to her eyes and fell down her cheeks. "No," she sobbed. "Mr. Davenport, I'm scared." Davenport winced at that but turned to ask one of the doctors to come over and look at her wound.

It was true - she was scared. Beyond scared, actually. Terrified, that's the word. She was afraid because she has never been in this much pain before. Scared because a situation like this has never happened before. Terrified because her family was falling apart.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light as one of Chase's force fields exploded around him and pulsed out like giant bubble, and every single flying object was sent crashing into the surrounding walls, causing the people in the room to duck and cover their heads. Davenport grabbed Bree and pulled her into him so that he could protect her body with his. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain, but she couldn't stop the whines and sobs.

Even after the sound of shattering glass, everyone remained still. Davenport was the first to move, letting go of the teen and gently helping her to lean back against the counter. The doctor Davenport had summoned was by Bree's side, talking to her and trying to get her to respond. While Davenport peeked over the counter, others doing the same, Bree watched the doctor through glazed eyes, deliriously noting that he was cute with black hair, blue eyes, and the brightest smile she had ever seen.

Davenport turned and said something to the young doctor before leaving, no doubt going to check on Chase. A part of Bree felt jealous, scowling in her mind that Chase got all the attention. But then she blinked several times to try and clear the strange thoughts away. Still staring at the doctor who was currently checking the wound on her shoulder, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"How'd you get yer theeth so white?" she asked, slurring slightly. Her doctor seemed surprised by the question, but then smiled that fabulous smile.

"I take excellent care with my teeth," he said. Looking her in the eyes, he said, "I believe that the smile plays an important factor in self-confidence." His eyes twinkled, or maybe she was just seeing things. "Can I see yours?" The question seemed so ridiculous to Bree that she just couldn't help but smile. "There we go," he praised, tapping her lightly on the nose. "Did anyone ever tell you that you had a wonderful smile?" When she shook her head slightly, he laughed. "Well, now someone did." He immediately sobered, though, as he said, "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but it needs to be done."

Before she could even ask, he firmly pressed a cloth drenched in antiseptic on her gunshot wound, causing her body to tense immediately, her back arching while her hands fisted and legs struggled - anything to lessen the pain. She bit on her lip again, but she couldn't help the quiet screams coming from the back of her throat, or the tears falling more heavily down her face.

"You're doing great, you're doing great," the doctor appraised quickly. "Just take deep breaths. Come on, I know you can do it." His soothing voice helped her to calm down slightly, just enough to get her lungs working again. As her doctor called for another person's help, she shut her eyes and tried to breathe through the pain.

As blackness crept in, dragging her under, she thought, _When will all the suffering finally stop?_

Then she succumbed into unconsciousness.

* * *

Davenport and the other doctor's approached the gurney with caution should the teen lying upon it glitch again. When he got close enough, he noticed that Chase's expression had gone from scary to peaceful. He heard Bree's quiet moans in the background, and though he wished he could be there and comfort her, he knew the young doctor tending to her had it handled.

"What in the universe was _that_?" one of the head surgeons said, from Davenport's left, glaring over the rims of his glasses at the inventor.

"I…I don't really know," Davenport answered truthfully. "He's _never_ glitched like that before."

The surgeon grunted. "Well, whatever caused it, we need to get started on the surgery as soon as possible to make sure that no permanent damage has happened, and if it hasn't, we'd like to stop it from becoming a prospect."

Davenport nodded in understanding. "Of course. I'll do anything to help to get you ready."

The older man surveyed the room, still looking over his glasses' rims still. "Well, we need to get that curtain up and the tray with our tools needs to be set up again." As he was speaking, the other surgeons were running around the room to try and set up for the operation. "Help me get the curtain on again."

The fabric had been blown off of the metal rail when Chase first started to glitch, and so the two men picked up the curtain and started to thread the rings onto the rail.

When the make-shift operation room was set up again, Davenport was forcefully ordered to "exit the premises." He checked on Bree, but the young doctor along with another medic already had her shoulder patched up as she rested peacefully. Leo came to stand by Mr. Davenport as the adult stood near the elevators with crossed arms and a dark expression.

"Hey, man," Leo started, looking up at his step-father. "They'll be alright, Big D. They learned from the best; they'll survive." But Donald didn't even hear Leo.

"He's ruining everything," he muttered, glaring at the activity going on in his lab. "Everything I've done is coming _un_done. I don't know how much longer I can keep the truth from them." Leo's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Davenport turned to him, a conflict in his eyes. "I tried _so hard_ to protect them from my mistakes, but now it's all coming back to bite me in the butt."

Leo swallowed his questions and tried to comfort the inventor. "Don't worry, Big D. They love you, and I'm sure that whatever you've done, they'll forgive you." Davenport's countenance went cold.

"You don't know what I've done, so don't be so quick to defend me." With that, Davenport turned and entered the elevator.

Just before the doors closed, Leo caught a glimpse of the man's shaking frame as he covered his face and cried.

* * *

**Whoa... That wasn't as long as chapter seven. Three thousand words less, to be exact. Is anyone still alive? Or are you all at the grocery store buying tomatoes to throw angrily at me? Yeah, um... I think I'm going to start running now. Adios! **

**Chapter theme: Sick of It by Skillet**


End file.
